In case you’re not familiar with us, Meal Makers uses an online platform to connect volunteers of any age who have a passion for cooking and want to be active in their communities (Cooks), with older neighbours over the age of 55 (Diners) who would appreciate a home cooked meal. Once a Cook and Diner have been matched the Cook will prepare an extra meal in their own home and deliver it to their Diner at a time agreed by both parties. Meal shares can occur as often as the cook and diner would like, so it might be weekly, fortnightly or just now and again. The only charge is a £5 membership per year to join the charity. No other money exchanges hands as it’s a donation of food between neighbours, so the older person could end up with 52 meals per year for a fiver.
We have a list of Cooks in Edinburgh who are already vetted and ready and willing to start cooking. I’ve copied their postcodes below so you can see if we have Cooks in your area. If we do, we would hope to match a new Diner very quickly. If we don’t, that’s no problem. We are getting new volunteers daily, and can actively seek out new volunteers in your area. We can take referrals over the phone – 07710 703528 – or if you would like a referral form please let me know.
If we can get new weekly diners for each of these people by the end of October, that would be nearly 300 meals that could be served between now and Christmas, and possibly some Christmas dinners as well!
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you know someone who could make use of the service or if you would like me to attend one of your team meetings to explain the service in more detail, I would be happy to do so.
Edinburgh is not the only area – the Meal Makers project is looking to grow quickly across Scotland. At the moment we are rolling the project out in Dundee, Glasgow City, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire as well as Edinburgh. Please get in touch with the team to find out if Meal Makers operates in your area.
If you are interested in volunteering to be a cook, and do not live in one of these areas, please still sign up as this allows us to establish demand in other areas.
| Rutland Square | City Centre | EH1 2AS | Montague Street | Southside | EH8 9QX |
| Saxe Coburg St | Bonnington | EH3 5BR | St Leonards Hill | Southside | EH8 9SB |
| Craigbrook Road | Ravelston | EH4 3PH | Lauderdale Street | The Meadows | EH9 1DE |
| Winnelstrae | Pilton/Trinity | EH5 2ET | Montpelier Park | Dalry | EH10 4NH |
| Newhaven Road | Newhaven | EH6 4JY | St Clair Terrace | Craiglockhart | EH10 5PS |
| Haddington Place | Bonnington | EH7 4AF | Meadow Spot | Morningside | EH10 5UY |
| Claremont Bank | Bonnington | EH7 4DR | Polwarth Gardens | Polwarth | EH11 1LA |
| Ewellington Street | Meadowbank | EH7 5EE | Polwarth Gardens | Polwarth | EH11 1LL |
| Elgin Terrace | Meadowbank | EH7 5NW | Murieston Gardens | Dalry | EH11 2LQ |
| Brunswick Road | Meadowbank | EH7 5PF | Smithfield Street | Dalry | EH11 2PH |
| Albion Road | Meadowbank | EH7 5Q | Palmerston Place | Haymarket | EH12 5AP |
| Moray Park Terrace | Meadowbank | EH7 5TH | Haymarket Terrace | Haymarket | EH12 5LA |
| Dalgety Ave | Meadowbank | EH7 5UF | N Gyle Drive | South Gyle | EH12 8EU |
| Kekewich Avenue | Craigentinny | EH7 6TZ | Redhall Drive | Kings Knowe | EH14 2DU |
| Piershill Place | Piershill | EH8 7EH | Bryce Road | Currie | EH14 5LP |
| Holyrood Road | Holyrood | EH8 8PD | Portobello High St | Portobello | EH15 1DA |
| Clerk Street | Southside | EH8 9JQ | King’s Road | Portobello | EH15 1DX |
| Oxford Street | Newington | EH8 9QF | Brunstane Road | Portobello | EH15 2DJ |
| Argyle Cres | Joppa | EH15 2QQ |