An Isle of Wight charity has delivered around 2,000 meals to people in Newport, along with more than 100 rounds of essential shopping and 90 prescriptions. 

Since the March closures of Downside Community Centre and Isobel Café, Island charity Pan Together has been supporting vulnerable and isolated people with lifeline support services.

Those who have received assistance have predominantly been based within Pan, Pan Meadows and Barton in Newport, where the charity is based.

Ongoing demand for the charity's services has remained evident, with thousands of people assisted between March 18 and August 31, with the community centre and café reopening in COVID-secure ways earlier this month.

During the period of closure, volunteers and staff at Pan Together have:

  • Prepared and delivered 1,114 no-cost hot meals to local children and young people in real need who weren't in receipt of free school meals before the lockdown but whose families' circumstances have changed dramatically, limiting other means of support
  • Dished up 843 lunches for adults, delivered to their doors — halved in price to £2 per meal from April 13
  • Done 131 separate rounds of essential shopping
  • Collected and delivered 90 prescriptions
  • Supported people on an individual basis in many other ways, including collections of surplus government food packages from shielding people, weekly deliveries to Newport's foodbank, assistance and banking support

Rachel Thomson, Pan Together's community centre manager, said, "It's been a challenging but hugely rewarding time since we're doing exactly what we're here to do: making a real difference to local people.

"Without the help of our stalwart volunteers plus incredibly generous donations and successful grant applications, we simply couldn't have done it. We appreciate everyone's support tremendously."

This year, Newsquest, owner of the Isle of Wight County Press,  gave Pan Together £3,180 for its community garden project, through its Gannett Foundation grants scheme.