THE WESTWOOD Centre today was a scene of fervent activity as a dedicated team of volunteers and family support hub workers organised the delivery of 320 food parcels to families in need across West Belfast.
Funded by the Westwood Centre, the initiative has been going for six years now and workers at five family support hubs in West Belfast on the Falls, Upper Falls, Colin area, the Shankill, and Upper Springfield area will work to distribute the meals for families to enjoy at Christmas.
Each food parcel contains enough food for six full Christmas meals including starters and desserts.
West Belfast MP Paul Maskey who was helping with the distribution of the parcels this morning said it was a brilliant initiative which ensures families across both communities and the whole West Belfast area will be able to enjoy a Christmas meal.
Paul said: “There’s a total of 320 food parcels which contains a dinner for six people with starters, mains and desserts and all the trimmings as well. I’m very grateful for the owners of the Westwood Centre.
“They contacted me a number of years ago – this has been operating for six years – to set this up. I made contact then with all of the family support hubs. The family support hubs then go and distribute the meals out to families."
CHRISTMAS SPIRIT: MP Paul Maskey and Councillor Joe Duffy helping to distribute food parcels this morning
Paul continued: “The family support hubs know the families very well, they know who will need a parcel this year and who will not, and those in most need. They work with families all year round, they’re the experts at this and are brilliant in their local communities and there are also a lot of volunteers too.
“This is all across West Belfast as well, so this food will be reaching families from the Shankill all the way out to the Colin area. It’s a great initiative and the Westwood centre put thousands of pounds into this every year, it’s a brilliant initiative.
Former owner of the Westwood Centre Kevin McKay who was also helping to distribute the parcels explained how the new owners of the centre have kept up the tradition which began six years ago.
Kevin said: “The owners of Westwood Shopping Centre fund this, it began about six years ago and the new owners have kept up the tradition. I initially contacted Paul back then to help get this organised and he contacted all of the family support centres to get it set up.
“The new owners continued with it because they agreed it was a great thing to do, the centre is at the heart of the community and it’s always good to give something back to the community.”
Paul added: “It really takes the pressure off a lot of families at Christmas to know they will have their Christmas dinner sorted. The family support hubs organise it all on a confidential basis as well and it will be different families every year as sometimes peoples circumstances can change.”
