A COMMUNITY group which provides food parcels to vulnerable people has secured a new permanent home – and is already planning to expand its services.

Old Kilpatrick Food Parcels was set up by Maureen and Gordon Cummings, who started out last spring.

It started out with the couple picking up prescriptions for people in the village who couldn’t get out at the start of the first lockdown – but they soon realised how many people were lacking basic essentials as a result of the pandemic.

And after months of operating out of a temporary facility in the village, the couple have secured a unit at Nu-Scope Business Centre off Station Road, to provide free emergency food supplies as well as help and support.

Maureen said: “We’ve got wifi, so we’re hoping to offer it to people who perhaps need to do coursework at home but don’t have a reliable internet connection or can’t afford the printer or ink.

“They can come and use our facilities to print off assignments or CVs.

“We’ll also be providing services to help people fill out application forms, whether it’s for Universal Credit, benefits, or just job applications.

“In addition, we’re creating a small cafe area to try and make collecting food parcels feel a bit more dignified.”

OKFP aims to provide visitors with social interaction they may not have otherwise.

“What we’re finding is that although food is the branch that we hold out to people, it’s the chat and the engagement that’s important.

“A lot of times we are the only people the individual might see from week to the next.”

Access to the warehouse is initially by appointment only and all social distancing rules will apply.

Donations of food, toiletries, nappies, cleaning products and pet food can be dropped off seven days a week from 12pm to 1pm.

To find out more about the expanded project, visit the Old Kilpatrick Food Parcels Facebook page.