Blackburn’s Westholme School is supporting its catering provider Thomas Franks by cooking 1,000 meals for the most vulnerable for ‘The Big Feed’ this week.
The initiative, launched by Thomas Franks who supply the Blackburn independent school, will take place on Thursday 14 May and will see 10,000 meals distributed in a single day across 14 towns and cities in the UK.
James Pate, Westholme’s Catering Manager, said: “We will be producing 1,000 high quality balanced meals to help feed the most vulnerable this Thursday for the Big Feed.
“All the kitchen staff have been furloughed while the school is closed, but most have volunteered to come back in to help with this project. We will be cooking a meat, halal and vegetarian option from the kitchens at the Infant School and working in shifts to adhere to social distancing.
“Not only are we helping to provide meals to those who need them, we are also helping our supply chain and doing something for our community.”
It is more important than ever right now to serve our communities.
Frank Bothwell, Founder of Thomas Franks, added: “This is a wonderful initiative, which I am proud of. It is more important than ever right now to serve our communities. I am so grateful to Westholme for opening their catering facilities and for their ongoing support throughout this uncertain time, by working together we can achieve so much. This coming Thursday, we are giving back and we cannot wait to make a real difference.”
In addition to The Big Feed project, Westholme are providing an additional 770 hot meals a week to vulnerable people in Blackburn, via Blackburn Youth Zone, Newground in association with Together Housing Trust, Age UK and the North West Ambulance station – thanks to funding from the Thomas Frank’s Foundation and Newground.
Thomas Franks are using their distribution network to ensure that these meals are allocated to people who are most in need.
James added: “Doing something that is helping so many people gives you such a good feeling. This funding has allowed us to reopen the kitchens and enable Westholme to give back to the people of Blackburn who need it most.”
