A lunch club set up by an Inverness charity has been praised for going “above and beyond” to help people in need.
Earlier this year, Inverness Foodstuff unveiled plans to expand by launching the foodie initiative in the Hilton area of the city.
The venture – brought forward in collaboration with High Life Highland – was prompted by a surge in demand for support.
Operations manager Pam Urquhart spearheaded the project alongside an army of volunteers, and the doors opened to the public in September.
Several months on, the charity is now delivering more than 1,100 meals per month between their Ness Bank and Hilton premises.
It’s estimated around 2,400 homeless and vulnerable people will be supported by the Hilton hub until 2026.
Inverness lunch club ‘has brought me out my shell’
The P&J recently visited the lunch club at Hilton Community Centre, where volunteers and attendees spoke candidly about how it has helped change their lives.
Operating twice a week, the service has already reached capacity with around 56 people turning up each time.
The revival of the service has acted as a lifeline for people of all ages, including mum-of-two Chloe Manson.
The 28-year-old from Hilton has become become a regular attendee along with young daughters Willow and Robyn, calling themselves “the ladies who lunch”.
Chloe said having the club has changed her life in so many ways, helping her find herself and improving her mental health.
“We came to the first one when it opened in September and we’ve been coming ever since,” she said.
“It has brought me out of my shell. Before I met all the other mums, I spent most days in the house by myself. We come on Wednesdays and Fridays, and we call ourselves the ladies who lunch.
“It is nice to know you are not the only one and we can talk about our problems, talk about what we are going through and how we are feeling, and we know there is no judgement.”
She added: “It helps with my mental health and the food is good too.
“Services like this are important to help tackle mental health; to help get people out and speaking to people. There is help here as well as the food you can take home, so you are not having to worry about the cost of living as much as you usually do.
“Pam has been absolutely fantastic. She’s always been there; especially if we needed the foodbank or needed to be referred to certain services. She’s been there to help us.”
The club has very much become a family affair for Dot Aitchison, 66, her 90-year-old mother Betty Wilson and her sister Doreen Wilson, 67.
The trio began using the service following a friend’s recommendation.
Dot said it is lovely to see the community coming together in friendship, laughter and conversation.
She said: “The people are wonderful; they really are.
“Being able to get out, relax and have a conversation; we love it. We all know each other so it is really good. It also helps with the budget, which is good.”
Her mother, Betty, joked about not having to worry about the dishes.
She added: “Down here you have no cooking and no dishes to wash.”
‘It is a really lovely service’
Pam, who manages an army of 80 volunteers, says she is thrilled by how quickly people have gravitated towards the service.
She said: “The feedback we get from people is they really enjoy coming and they are mainly coming for the company and to socialise. It is amazing.”
The expansion was made possible thanks to a £72,000 award from the Scottish Government Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund.
Lunch club an ‘exciting’ development for the community
Drew Hendry, MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey said the service is a “shining example” of how communities are coming together to support those facing challenging times.
During a recent visit to the lunch club, he said: “I think this is a shining example of what happens in many of our communities across the Highlands; particularly in areas like Hilton when folk are given the opportunity to do something special.
“They not only rise to the challenge but take it to new levels.
“This is, in its own way, a really exciting development for the community and it is also something that is creating a lot of interest.
“It will be good for people’s mental health, and it is just a great, fun place to come.”
Conversation