Meals on wheels service to be axed

A meals on wheels service for the elderly in Dudley borough has been axed due to a lack of funding, it was revealed today.

The national WRVS charity is closing the Carlisle Hall in Victoria Street, Stourbridge on March 31 and will stop delivering hot meals.

The charity has been struggling to meet the service's £50,000 annual costs and was looking for sponsors to provide much-needed cash - but none came forward.

Meals are cooked and taken to about 150 residents a day, who are now being given details of alternative private firms that offer a similar service.

Residents currently pay £3.50 a day for a hot meal and dessert to be delivered by WRVS.

Charity bosses are now referring them to Quality Meals, which offers daily hot meals, or Wiltshire Farm Foods and Oakhouse Foods - who deliver frozen meals once a week.

Prices range from an average of £3.50 to £5 a day, depending on the meals that are ordered.

The WRVS service, which is run by 70 volunteers, will end on March 31.

It was launched following the end of Dudley Council's scheme around two years ago.

Sam Ward, regional services manager, said: "We regret having to take this decision but unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the team, the service has been heavily losing money for the last five years.

"We have been diverting funds from other areas of the charity to make up the shortfall and this could not continue."

She added the service was being axed as part of national cutbacks at the charity.

A twice-weekly lunch club at Carlisle Hall, which caters for 50 people twice a week, will be forced to move venues.

A weekly exercise class will also end.

Volunteers are looking into setting up their own rival meals service, though no details have been confirmed.

"That is a matter for the volunteers but we can only endorse the three providers we are aware of," Miss Ward added.

The charity used five leased vans, costing £12,000 a year, to deliver meals to residents.

This outlay, added to cash spent cooking then packing the meals, was funded through the money charged for meals.

Any residents concerned about getting meals should contact the WRVS Good Neighbour service, based at Wollescote Hall in Stourbridge on 01384 817282.