A north-east community group has helped hundreds of people in need throughout lockdown.
The Fraserburgh Community Heart group launched on March 14 to aid those self-isolating or shielding and has delivered more than 500 care packages to date.
Stephanie Stephen, who leads the group, initially made the care packs in her kitchen and garage.
As it grew, she then started working with shops and churches to set up donation stations for people to give food items for the care packs.
Miss Stephen said: “I quickly realised in the weeks to follow how great a need there were going to be.
“With the help of John Anderson from the Fraserburgh Resilience group, we managed to get a hall to use to make the packs and we put together for a team of volunteers to deliver them three times a week.”
The care packages are delivered to those in need in Fraserburgh as well as Rosehearty, Sandhaven, Cairnbulg St Combs and Crimmond.
As well as providing food supplies, the group have also been on hand to “have a friendly chat” and deliver prescriptions for those who can’t get out.
Fraserburgh Community Heart was recognised by the Grampian Covid-19 Assistance Hub as one of the town’s top groups for helping the community.
Miss Stephen said the response from the community had been “incredible”.
She said: The amount of thoughtfulness, selflessness and pure kindness the people in our town have shown over the past four months has been unimaginable.
“Fraserburgh Community Heart could not have existed and helped the people we have without the generous donations from everyone.
“To the people in our community who have given from their own pockets, whether it be goods or money donations, you have made this possible.”
The group plan to stop the care packs on July 3 as needs in the town are shifting and other groups now offer a similar service.
The group will, however, continue to work alongside the Grampian Covid-19 Assistance Hub to deliver prescriptions “and offer a friendly chat when people are feeling low”.
Miss Stephen said: “We have plans to come back at Christmas and to continue helping the community in other ways we see they might need as time goes on.”
