Reaching older people in a ‘Jiffy’
Fresh local produce is reaching older people in their own homes across North Warwickshire thanks to a new initiative.
A new Jiffy vehicle is touring the more rural parts of North Warwickshire, offering older people the chance of everything from fresh fruit and vegetables and meat through to bread and cakes without leaving their homes.
Warwickshire County Council’s County Transport Operations had to come up with some completely new thinking when they were approached by PHILLIS, a county council initiative which aims to give older people access to services to help them live independently in their own homes.
When approached with the suggestion of a food service to homes, county transport had to go back to the drawing board, having only dealt with moving people in the past, and not food.
Thanks to funding from Advantage West Midlands, the WRASP programme and the Local Transport Plan community transport capital the project has now become a reality and the new Jiffy vehicle is visiting 50 older people in North Warwickshire.
A key to the success of the vehicle is its low operating costs offering people the chance to buy fresh local produce with no delivery charge.
It is also helping to support the local economy with the produce on sale coming from Rowleys local butcher; the milk coming from Kimberley Farm, Bentley; the eggs from Grendon; the vegetables and fruit from the Curdworth wholesale markets; Baxterley for breads and cakes; and Gales for locally produced fresh meat.
Supporting this new initiative have been the county council’s Cabinet members for Adult, Health and Community Services, and for the Environment, Cllr Colin Hayfield and Cllr Martin Heatley.
Cllr Hayfield said: “This is a really exciting new initiative that has originated through, and is run by, local volunteers aimed particularly at combating rural isolation. The county council is delighted to assist this scheme and look at the viability of expanding it to a wider area of the county. Key to this has been the work of Annette Gadd who first saw the need for this service and who has been instrumental in setting up the scheme. She and her other volunteers deserve our gratitude.”
Cllr Heatley added: “This demonstrates that the county council is willing to try new and innovative things to best meet the needs of the people of Warwickshire. If this service goes well, it could be we look to expand it in the future.”