The Meals on Wheels kitchen at Tighes Hill cooks up a storm week in, week out, producing up to 15,000 meals that are then delivered to clients throughout Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.

The charity organisation is among around 20 community groups to receive a grant this year through the State Government’s Community Building Partnership program.

Meals on Wheels Project and Marketing Officer Ayla Jade said the $50,000 grant, available to spend in March 2022, would go towards a much-needed new combi oven. It is just one of the things on the organisation’s ever-expanding wish list.

“Really, it’s the big appliances we need to upgrade, to be able to keep cooking the meals to meet increasing demand,” Jade said.

The team of six people at the Tighes Hill kitchen is working with two commercial combi ovens and other equipment that are between 15 and 20 years old. Jade said they were just about “past their use-by date”.

A new combi oven alone costs at least $60,000.

Jade said the organisation was constantly applying for grants and was grateful for any money received.

“I’ve got a wish list that’s worth at least half a million dollars. All our equipment is ageing,” she said.

Greater demand for the service was a result of several factors, Jade noted, including a growing ageing population, an increase in NDIS clients (MOW is not just for the elderly), and COVID, which meant people were not going out so much to buy groceries and family members were less available to help with meals.

The Newcastle Meals on Wheels service supplies fresh and frozen meals to 1100 clients each week across nine, soon to be 10, branches. The kitchen also produces frozen meals for 22 different organisations across the region such as Integrated Living.

The service is forever on the lookout for financial help and is always happy to accept new volunteers to add to the 403 helpers already on board.

To register your interest in becoming a volunteer or a client, visit the Meals on Wheels Newcastle website at mow.net.au or call (02) 4957 7097.

Other groups to benefit from Community Building Partnership funding this year include Mayfield’s Flexible Options, receiving $20,000 to kit out an op shop and craft space for NDIS participants, and Fighting Chance, awarded $16,539 to develop a fully accessible co-working space at Warabrook. The Hunter Academy of Sport has also received $19,000 to boost their Indigenous Talent Identification.

State Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp said he was thrilled to see a wide variety of community groups apply.

“These grants are going to reach so many people in our community, and I congratulate the successful organisations for their applications,” he said.

Gina Cranson