Sound School Christmas Dinners on Christmas Day

Bringing festive meals to families on Christmas Day

School cooks Brenda Moar and Alison Beattie. Credit: SIC

Alison Beattie and Brenda Moar, who lead the catering team at Sound School, plus their team of volunteers, once again gave up their own time to prepare, cook, and deliver Christmas dinners to those struggling during the festive season.

The kitchen team at Sound School does a brilliant job every day, feeding the bairns, which may well be the only meal some of these children receive that day.

The Initiative’s Origin

This is the third year that Head Cook Alison and Assistant Cook Brenda have volunteered their time to help their community. The initiative began in 2022 when they wondered if there was more they could do to assist the community amidst rising living costs and post-COVID uncertainties. Funding for this year’s dinners was secured through the Scottish Government’s Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund, which was used to purchase all the food.

Alison and Brenda were aware of people in the area struggling financially. They decided that delivering meals to individual households would be the best approach, as some people might be too embarrassed to ask for help. Initially, the three Lerwick schools and the Anchor Early Intervention Team helped identify families in need.

After several families signed up, it became clear there was capacity to do more. Colleagues in social care, housing, Women’s Aid, and Shetland Voluntary Action were asked if they knew anyone who might benefit. The offer was also promoted on social media, receiving encouraging feedback and many volunteer offers.

Impact and Growth

In the first year, Alison and Brenda provided meals for around 40 people. Last year, they served 115, and this year, they delivered 110 full Christmas dinners. The team also provided the Christmas meal for the local voluntary group, Food for the Way.

Rev. Michelle McAdoo from Food for the Way expressed heartfelt thanks to the team of volunteers for their efforts in providing meals for Christmas Day.  

“At Food for the Way we served 24 people on the day - there was a real mixture of people attending and I wanted to give you and your team an idea of the great atmosphere and celebration that they helped to create.

We had a lady in her 90's and her adult daughter, an elderly disabled man and his daughter with severe mental health issues, 2 women with complex needs who use mobility scooters and a therapy dog, a younger mum with a toddler, 2 elderly brothers both with complex needs, an elderly lady with Parkinson's, a man with learning difficulties, a woman with mental health issues, a dad living with addiction with his daughter home from university, another lady in her 90's with health issues and 5 men with addiction issues who live on their own.”

Thanks to the dedication of Alison, Brenda, and the team of volunteers, many people felt loved and cared for this Christmas. Their efforts have made a significant impact on the community, and their initiative continues to grow each year.