A North Lanarkshire-based food charity is looking for help to keep it on the road, after the engine of their van exploded.
Eat Up collects surplus food and distributes it to other charities and community organisations including food banks.
The charity, which operates from a base just outside Holytown, have been forced to launch an online fundraiser after their Merecedes van gave up the ghost while travelling on the M8.
Eat Up founder Tommy Reid said: “It just made a noise and then there was tons of smoke, so I pulled over to the hard shoulder but that was it. We still don’t know what’s happened to it. The recovery guy said it looked as if it had blown up and there was coolant and stuff everywhere.
"The fire service said I’d done the right thing by getting it off the road right away. I didn’t see any flames but there was smoke everywhere. The motorway was filled with it. The emergency services were great though.”
The charity bought the used vehicle in March 2020, just before the pandemic, with the help of a lottery grant.
Tommy continued: “It worked right through the pandemic, it was phenomenal and never let us down. All it needed in that time was the odd tyre and serviced.
“We work all over, including Lanarkshire, and collect from places like Lidl, Aldi and Tesco. We also get pallets of stuff from food producers as well. We get a mixture of everything.
“Lidl and Aldi give us a lot of ambient foodstuffs [items that can be stored at room temperature], Tesco give us a lot of breads and some chilled things, Booker give us a lot of catering supplies like sandwich spreads and things like that, and Warburtons and Waitrose also provide us with stuff. We make up packages with a variety and take them to different foodbanks, and occasionally individuals as well.”
The charity has around 20 regular volunteers plus others who help out from time to time. Tommy is grateful to Colin McGuinness from Homeless Project Scotland who has kindly loaned them a van this week, allowing them to continue operating in the short term.
Without a van, Eat Up won’t be able to continue on the scale it has over the last few years. and they are now trying to raise enough to purchase another used vehicle. They have set a target of £5000.
“It would cost far too much to buy a new van,” Tommy admits. “It’s the only van we have and we rely on it to support other groups and individuals who need access to food daily. We need support to keep the service going.”
More information on the charity is available at: www.eatupcharity.co.uk
You can donate at: gofundme.com/f/help-us-raise-for-a-new-van?
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