A scheme that has helped to feed, clothe and support homeless and vulnerable people in the West Midlands is to be launched in Preston.
AdvertisementA partnership launched two years ago between home assistance provider HomeServe and the Midland Langar Seva Society (MLSS) is helping to provide support to thousands of people in the West Midlands.
Now it will be expanded to Preston, with teams of staff volunteers from HomeServe providing hot meals, goody bags and samosas to those in need at regular feeds in place such as the city’s Foxton Centre.
The MLSS is aiming to help those in need of food across Preston and relies on the support of teams of dedicated volunteers, as well as food, transport and storage.
HomeServe will support the project, by providing teams of volunteers and food collection banks at its Preston offices.
The idea began thanks to a chance conversation between HomeServe’s Bhupinder ‘Pops’ Heer and Greg Reed.
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Bhupinder, a call centre worker for HomeServe, said: “I’ve been blown away by the way HomeServe has got behind MLSS in the West Midlands and it makes me incredibly proud to have them by our side”
“Since we started, we’ve been inundated with offers of support not only here in Walsall but from our other offices across the country, including Preston, so we thought we should launch the service in Lancashire too.
“We have so many people based in the city and we have so many willing volunteers that we hope we can make a difference, even in some small part, to the lives of people who may need our help.”
Greg Reed, chief marketing officer of HomeServe, added: “People like Pops are an inspiration to us all.
“Their passion, belief and drive is something to admire and we’re lucky to have many people just like Pops working for us in Preston.
“Our people just want to help do some good, and as a business that is proud to be passionate and committed to its local communities we’re happy to help them.
“It really is incredible to be part of an organisation where there is a real drive to help others and this partnership is a real credit to the culture we have all created here.”
The MLSS team operates feeds in wider networks right across the West Midlands and beyond, including areas of Blackpool, delivering around 10,000 feeds every week or 40,000 every month.