FREEMOOVEMENT deliver free meals to the homeless
Published: 8 April 2020
A community group that normally run free exercise sessions in parks around Exeter is putting its energy to good use by delivering meals to the homeless.
FREEMOOVEMENT, a free community-led, health improvement activity group, is not letting the coronavirus outbreak stop them helping out across the city.
Members and volunteers from the group are getting on their bikes and delivering free hot meals to the homeless.
The group has been recognised for their efforts and been awarded a £1,000 Covid-19 Action Fund Grant.
The Covid-19 Action Fund was launched last week in tandem with support service Exeter Community Wellbeing. It enables organisations to get rapid access to small grants to allow them to work on local projects to support those people and communities most affected by the pandemic.
So far a total of almost £35,000 has been dished out to community groups and charities as part of the Fund.
FREEMOOVEMENT said they would use their members and volunteers to link in with emergency response groups and perform the task of delivering supplies to members of the community who are in need, isolated or vulnerable.
Paul Mouland, of FREEMOOVEMENT said: “Obviously as the lockdown continues it becomes more and more difficult to get out and do exercise, so we’re using our volunteers and ride leaders to put our exercise to good use and deliver up to 40 meals a day throughout the city. We have also been delivering clothing and other essential supplies such as sanitary products that have been kindly donated.
“Hopefully they’ll be other organisations that will need our support in the future and we’ll be happy to get our volunteers to help out and support their causes as well.
We are also strengthening our community links and partnerships with organisations such as St Thomas Food Fight, which do such vital work all year round,” Paul added.
Cllr Amal Ghusain, Lead Councillor of Equalities, Diversity and Communities, said: “Hats off to FREEMOOVEMENT. Their activity sessions throughout Exeter have been an inspiration to so many people but obviously due to restrictions they are not able to continue at this moment in time.
“Rather than do nothing, they’ve taken the initiative and got out there to deliver a vital community service. I can’t thank them enough and at Exeter Community Wellbeing we’re more than happy to support them with this grant.
Also benefitting from a £1,000 grant is Exeter Community Centre Trust, who have launched St David’s Community Help Scheme to support vulnerable people with deliveries, shopping, collections of food or medicine, dog walking and phone calls.
In addition to delivering food for the homeless we have also been delivering clothing and other essential supplies such as sanitary products that have been kindly donated.