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#FeedTheHeath: the volunteer-led initiative providing free meals to NHS workers at UHW Cardiff

Cowshed is proud to voluntarily support a new initiative (started on Monday 30th March) that is providing free food and drink to NHS workers at UHW Cardiff.

#FeedTheHeath is a volunteer-led initiative fronted by Kasim Ali, owner of Waterloo Tea, in partnership with Cardiff and Vale Health Charity and Cardiff and Vale University Health board.

The aim is to provide somewhere close to the hospital where NHS workers can get some respite and a healthy nutritious meal, especially now that on-site cafés are closing down.

All food is being distributed from the Heath Sports and Social Club to streamline delivery of food to NHS frontliners.

Kasim said: “Times are already very challenging and are likely to get worse. We all depend on NHS workers to care for us, our families, friends and colleagues. Through this project we aim to make a contribution to looking after those NHS staff on whom we rely so heavily. Whether you are a supplier, caterer, business or individual we would be very grateful for your help and support.”

This is not a Waterloo Tea café; Kas and his team have been pivotal in getting things set-up and started but are now acting as a hub for more people and businesses to get involved.

A proportion of the meals are being put aside specifically for staff working on COVID-19 wards, and the plan is to do the same for those on ICU and maternity wards.

Waterloo Tea staff are volunteering for this project and will do all they can to support the hospital, but they can’t do it alone and need as much help as possible.

An initial target of £25,000 was set and was reached in just three days. If the hub was to serve 500 people a day, that would equate to 3,500 meals per week and cost around £10,500 per week. Therefore, the fundraising goal has now increased to £100,000.

Over £36,000 has been raised already and 29 businesses have pledged their support, with more and more getting in touch daily.

Here’s how you can help:

1) Suppliers
Providing ingredients for the chefs to cook with
Providing disposables/take away boxes and coffee cups (ideally compostable or recyclable)

2) Caterers
Preparing meals that can be delivered to the hospital for healthcare workers to eat something healthy and nutritious
The cost of the ingredients can be covered through donations

3) Businesses & Individuals
Cash donations for purchasing essential items including ingredients, drinks, disposables

You can find out more and donate to #FeedTheHeath by following this link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/feeding-nhs-staff-at-uhw-heath-hospital

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