Preston North End Community and Education Trust is continuing to provide essential foods and mental health and wellbeing resources for those in need.
The Trust has been supported by Morrisons Riversway to deliver further food hampers to those most vulnerable in the local community.
In addition, mental health and wellbeing packs have been created and distributed within the food hampers, to provide a boost for those who need it most.
Among the packs are activities for both adults and children, including word searches, quizzes, recipe sheets and exercise guides, plus plenty more.
Mill Bank Wellbeing Centre was supported with the provision of both essential foods and the mental wellbeing resources for its service users, the latter being delivered as part of Children’s Mental Health Week.
Health and Wellbeing Officer Hannah White explained that the support for Mill Bank, a supported housing unit for homeless families, is taking pressure off of service users by providing them with the essential goods, as well as resources to keep children busy.
“We’ve provided some activities that can keep children occupied and ultimately it takes the stress off the parents as well.,” said Hannah.
“It’s not easy for children trying to learn from home. There’s going to be a lot of distractions around with built-up energy they don’t know what to do with, and they’re missing out on that social interaction with their class-mates.
“Hopefully, what we’ve provided will really help to focus on their energy into something else.”
Mill Bank Customer Support Co-ordinator Tony Sharrock echoed that sentiment.
He said: “We’ve got 40 homeless families that we support with a range of different issues. Our ultimate goal is to help them back into general housing.
“The food that’s been provided will be a real help. People have struggled financially during such difficult times. The mental health care packages that are being brought, I think they will really help people.”
Meanwhile, service user Jayne Conway added: “It will help my eight-year-old. He struggles with the day-to-day of not going to school, not having his friends around, his teachers to tell him. I can’t do home schooling with him because he just doesn’t sit down to do it.
“Even I struggle to do the work with him because I don’t understand it myself. These are a bit easier to do, the word searches, to keep his mind active.”
The foods and mental health packages have also been delivered to others in need in the local community, including PNECET programme members.
Walking footballer Fred Roberts has been supporting his wife after she sadly suffered a stroke, and admitted that the welcome surprise of a hamper would really help him.
“It’s lovely to see everybody and I’m delighted to get a hamper as well, to see that North End are thinking about us. Everyone is missing the football like mad.
“My wife had a stroke in November, so to get to the shops, it’s difficult now really. She can walk but not totally well. Something like this helps me so much.
“It’s provided a lifeline, particularly with my wife being unwell, it’s much appreciated. Thank you very much!”
For more information about this initiative, please email hannah.white@pne.com.