Share a meal

Yes, indeed – what a lovely thing to be able to do – and one that we have been deprived of for all too long. But, we don’t have to be.

Over lockdown my good friend Sarah Stacey, who lives in a tiny village in Dorset, started cooking meals for a poorly neighbour. Talking to friends she discovered that many of them were doing the same – cooking, shopping and, when allowed, sharing meals with elderly or isolating neighbours and family. And if sharing was not an option, dropping a meal on the doorstep was a good fall back position.

Not only was this hugely helpful for those who struggled to shop or cook for themselves but it was also a great way to connect. As they say on the Share A Meal site:

Food makes friends. One woman popped notes through her neighbours’ doors asking if they wanted to take it in turns to cook for each other. Another has teamed up with two of her neighbours to provide hot meals for an elderly man living alone on their street. Now they meet and eat together or, in lockdown, drop off a dish on doorsteps and wave and chat from a safe distance. Although the idea started with our concerns for older, lonely people, any age can be involved. One mother told us her teenage son loves cooking, likes older people and will happily take part.

To help and encourage others to follow in their wake, they have set up a site with lots of easy but delicious recipes for dishes to cook and share – plus Facebook and Instagram pages where you can not only share your own recipes – but also your sharing experiences.

Yet another of the thousands of really lovely initiatives to have come out of COVID19. Who said that neighbourliness was dead?

If you would like to support their campaign to raise £500 to help fund posters and recipes cards for Share  Meal you can do so here at their Just Giving page.