More than a meal: Shildon Alive’s volunteers nourishing the community

A knock at the door. A warm container changes hands. Five minutes of conversation about the weather, the week, and how the knee is holding up. 

For some residents in Shildon, writes volunteer community reporter, Henri Birkholz, that brief exchange on the doorstep is the only human contact they’ll have all week.

Loneliness among the elderly is one of the most serious health crises in Britain. In Shildon, a small team of volunteers at Shildon Alive is quietly doing something about it. 

“Our drivers are sometimes the only person they see that week,” says Lauren, Community Engagement Officer at the charity. This is about more than food.

The service is simple: call before 11:15am, and by lunchtime a hot meal — a starter, main and dessert — arrives at your door for £6, delivery included. 

Monday to Friday, across Shildon, Eldon and the Dene Valley. For sous-chef Callum the appeal runs deeper. “People could actually have a fresh-cooked meal every day — with lovely company to chat to as they deliver it.”

By 8am, head chef, Diane and sous-chef, Callum are already at their stations, cutting vegetables, prepping meat and making sure everything is fresh and ready before the first delivery goes out. It’s a routine built on pride. “I put my heart into my food,” says Callum. 

For Diane, who came from a care background, the motivation is straightforward: “I love being able to help somebody, and I love cooking. Here I can do both.”

The Nourish Hub’s five volunteer drivers are drawn from the local community. Retired nurses, former care home workers, and people who spent decades in that caring world and wanted to give something back. 

But their role extends beyond delivery. Each driver is paired with a “driver’s mate” who watches for anyone who seems isolated. Those flagged are visited later by the hub’s dedicated befriender. “It’s always that next-step service.” A phrase that says everything about how this organisation thinks.

Wendy, a Meals on Wheels customer, doesn’t need much prompting. “The service is wonderful. He makes the best gravy,” she says.

The Nourish Hub’s reach goes beyond the elderly. During school holidays, around 30 children a day receive meals. A community shop lets anyone fill a basket of groceries for just £3. And for those in crisis, the door is always open. “People come in and they’ve had nothing to eat,” says Diane. “We give them a hot meal, something in their tummies to warm them up.”

There is one problem the Nourish Hub cannot cook its way out of. When grant funding dried up, the free meals stopped. For some elderly customers on fixed incomes, even £4.50 for a hot meal is a barrier. 

“Some have stopped ordering.” A quiet sentence that carries real weight. What the team needs most right now isn’t complicated. “Just awareness”, says Callum. “We’d like to make people aware that we are here and we can help.”

Shildon Alive’s future looks bigger. A new building is already in the works, with more kitchen space and a teaching kitchen upstairs for cooking classes. A chance to give something back to the wider community. 

Callum puts it simply: “You say nourishing and you think ‘food’. It’s nourishing the community. It mostly involves just helping.”

To order Meals on Wheels, call 07385 924163 between 9am and 11:15am, Monday to Friday. You can also visit the Nourish Hub at 91-95, Church Street, Shildon. For more information, visit the charity’s website.