Story 75 - Responding to the coronavirus
New Brighton Baptist Church
Lockdown has seen many extraordinary acts of kindness shown by ordinary people not least in New Brighton. Shirley Bowen a member of New Brighton Baptist Church in Wallasey, Merseyside along with Tom and a team of volunteers have been taking free food parcels to needy households across the area.
Since March over 1000 parcels have been distributed. This contact with families has led to other types of help being offered as well. It has caused a social benefit to the area as relationships have been built and this meant a temporary breaking of social isolating for the delivery recipients.
Already an activist, Shirley responded to lockdown by quickly arranging for vital help to go to households of which she was already aware. In the early days of lockdown food parcels would given out two or three times a week. Now that things have settled Shirley, Tom and the team deliver 30 parcels on a weekly basis.
Each food parcel is a healthy balance of food drink, meat and vegetarian products. Other basic essentials are also included. Donations come from Morrisons in New Brighton, individual neighbours of the church, and partners including Heart of Egrement, Clarmont food hub and the Oak Project at Christ the King Church in Birkenhead.