This is how free meatballs are bringing the Paulsgrove community together thanks to a group of kind volunteers

A scheme launched to give the people of Paulsgrove a hot and healthy free meal every Monday during these last few weeks of lockdown served its 300th customer on Monday.

Meatball Mondays, which now attracts around 50 hungry people every week, has been running since February to bring a little treat to people in the community.

It was set up by the Council for Social Responsibility, a social action charity based in the city, with volunteers dishing up meatballs between 5pm and 6pm on Mondays until Easter Monday.

The volunteer project, which is part-funded by the Big Lottery, is based at St Michael’s and All Angels church in Hempsted Road and serves up food to anybody who wants it.

Gambol Parker, assistant director of social enterprise and engagement, said: ‘It became really obvious that people were really struggling. We thought let’s do something nice, so we just got a few people together from the church and got on and did it.

‘Rather than a soup kitchen ethos, we wanted to give people a treat. It seems to have really worked. It’s just a bit of an uplift for the community.’

It is manned by volunteers who observe social distancing rules to support chef Louis Coward, who can usually be found cooking for diners at Soho House in London.

The wholesome meals, which always have a vegetarian alternative, are handed out in disposable trays for people to take home.

There are two recipes which get served up on alternating weeks, one is classic spaghetti and sauce, while the other is the Swedish favourite of gravy and mash.

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Volunteer Shirley Hobbs said: ‘Starting Meatball Mondays was a great way to reconnect with the community and get the doors open again, it has been a real success.’

A lot of people from the church who weren’t able to volunteer donated lots of fruit as an added bonus for guests.

Meatball Mondays is part of St M’s Events, which aims to improve community-based activities, and is set to run more events this year.

Future plans at St M’s Events include a rewilding garden project and creating co-working spaces as an alternative to the home office.

Visit stmichaelspaulsgrove.org.uk/meatballs for more information.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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