Local and national businesses in thank you to key workers

Local and national businesses continue to show their generosity and support to the coronavirus (COVID-19) response through donations of food to the Pocklington COVID-19 Community Response Hub.

The Community Response Hub has for the last 10 weeks worked in partnership with Pocklington Rugby in the Community, local volunteer groups, the People’s Pantry, Hey Smile Foundation and ERYC to coordinate ongoing support to vulnerable residents across the local area who are either self-isolating or suffering financial hardship. 

The "Hub" has already supplied over 900 food parcels, to local residents, collected and delivered prescription and made in excess of 100 house calls to check on vulnerable families. 

To support this work, a number of local and national businesses have generously donated produce to distribute to residents, key workers and local care homes.

These businesses include Vegilantes, an independent plant protein food producer who donated 1250 vegetarian burgers with William Jackson Food Group and Anchor Nurseries providing burger buns and cucumbers. These were delivered to over 800 local care home staff and Yorkshire Ambulance Service depots throughout Yorkshire as a thank you for the tireless work they are doing to support local communities. 

Tony Britton from Vegilantes said “The Vegilantes was created in 2017 and we have spent the last 2 years developing unique, high quality vegetarian plant protein products, which are all handmade with natural ingredients. As part of our national launch with Morrisons, we created special 'thank you' packs of our Burgers to give away to frontline workers within hospitals and care homes to show our support and gratitude. 

“Working with the Pocklington Community Response Hub, Pocklington Rugby in the Community and HEY Smile has been fantastic, enabling The Vegilantes to say 'thank you' to key workers in East Yorkshire.”

Charlotte Watson, Manager of the Prospect House Residential Care Home in Swinefleet said “I would just like to say a big thank you to Vegilantes for their kind donation of burgers. The burgers were delicious and a most welcomed donation which really meant an awful lot to the staff here at Prospect House. Our sincere thanks go to HEY Smile Foundation, Vegilantes and Pocklington Rugby in the Community for thinking of us.” 

Andy Bowden, Chair of Pocklington Rugby in the Community praised local businesses for their generosity “On behalf of the Community Response Hub I’d like to thank those local and national businesses who have donated produce to support our key workers and the most vulnerable in our community. Without these kind gestures we would not have been able to reach out to as many families and individuals as we have.”

Jackson’s Bakery Managing Director Dorian Hiles said “We’ve been trying to help our local community as much as possible during this crisis and are delighted to have been able to support the foundation with the amazing work they do for local people. Our thanks go to them for everything they are doing day in and out here in Hull.”

James Broekhuizen, Nursery Manager at Anchor Nurseries “We were delighted to be able to support HEY Smile Foundation with their work in the local community. We have worked with Smile for a while now, and we know that all donations we make always go to the right places. We hope everyone at the Care Homes enjoyed their treat!”

Any individuals in need of help should call the Pocklington COVID-19 Community Support Group on 01759 740844.