A Whiteinch social enterprise company is desperately seeking funds to help feed people affected by the lockdown.

Well-Fed Scotland is turning out 1,500 meals a day for self-isolating and vulnerable groups even though its income has all but dried up.

The community interest company was set up in 2017 and operates out of The Whiteinch Centre in Northinch Court.

The enterprise company operates from the Whiteinch Centre

Managing director Chris Gray said the enterprise had been forced to switch its trading model entirely following the coronavirus outbreak.

It runs a cafe and childrens clubs and does catering with all profits going back into the community.

It has now set up a Crowdfunder page and is seeking to raise 20,000 to keep serving its meals.

Chris said: When this outbreak started to have an impact we saw a sharp decline in sales which was replaced with an enormous increase in people looking for support.

On the 14 March we made the decision to stop all our trading and focus solely on providing meals to people in need.

We have seen a lot of change. We have gone from helping people suffering financially or with mental health or through addiction, to anyone and everyone across society who are either too scared to go out, are self-isolating or are vulnerable with underlying health conditions.

We are working with a whole range of different people.

Today we provided 1,500 free meals.

The Well-Fed cafe

Well-Fed is also offering emergency food parcels.

Supermarkets such as Morrisons are helping out with things like bread.

The social enterprise firm typically covers Whiteinch, Scotstoun, Knightswood, Drumchapel, potentially Maryhill.

But its meals are now being delivered to Lambhill, Milton and Cadder and also areas in the south, Govan, Cardonald, Mosspark.

The team is made up of 13 staff members and 12 volunteers some of whom are chefs who are giving up their time to cook meals.

Chris said: We have benefitted massively from donations from some of the restaurants that have closed in the last few weeks.

When this out break started to have an impact we saw a sharp decline in sales which was replaced with an enormous increase in people looking for support

Chris Gray

Those donations are starting to dry up but supermarkets like Morrisons and Sainsburys have been donating things.

We have managed to keep the food stock going but in terms of the meal production we pretty much buy everything, including all the plastic packaging and labels.

He added: We set the Crowdfunded up as a stop gap up until we can access the governments support package.

The Crowdfunded if successful would give us about a four-week window to allow us to continue to operate and reach out to people who need help.

Chris said they were keen to hit their target within the time to allow them to access the money for when it is needed.

* The campaign runs out at midnight on Friday April 3. The Crowdfunder page can be found here.

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NEWS: Well-Fed Scotland needs 20,000 to feed people in lockdown - Glasgow West End Today

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