News

Over 350 people enjoy a Taste for Life as service marks first year

A £220,000 community meals service set up to support the elderly and vulnerable in Walsall has helped more than 350 people since it was launched a year ago.

Taste for Life, run by Caldmore Housing Association and Age UK Walsall, was launched on 30 November last year in partnership with Walsall Council.

The service was originally set up to help former meals-on-wheels customers get hot and cold meals delivered to their homes and attend lunch clubs.

Since then Taste for Life has expanded, offering services such as Safe and Well Calls, where staff visit or call people to ensure they are managing on their own, and cooking help for customers who want to prepare their own meals.

Taste for Life is also continuing to help customers attend the four lunch clubs that it works with in Walsall Wood, Darlaston, Bloxwich and Great Barr.

Mike Hew, Chief Executive of Caldmore Housing Association, said: “We are really pleased with how well Taste for Life has been received and with 350 people on our books it is clear that this is a vital and much-needed service for the borough.

“We are now doing so much more than helping people with meals; we are supporting people to remain active and independent by working with some fantastic lunch clubs and providing cooking help in the home.”

Davina Lytton, Chief Officer for Age UK Walsall, said: “In just a year, Taste for Life has helped so many people in a variety of ways that goes way beyond just finding meals options that suit them.

“It has also introduced a significant number of people to lunch clubs, where they can meet new people and get out and about which is vital in ensuring that older people do not become isolated in their own homes.”

Caldmore Housing Association is a charity based in Walsall which is part of the Accord Group. It manages 1,800 homes and provides a range of different support services across the borough.

For more information about Taste for Life call 0121 568 3973, from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.