Our first Wednesday of 2021, and our first in the latest version of lockdown. Happy 2021 everything- we can only hope things improve from here, eh?

Tonight we were grateful for a brilliant turn out to deliver essential food and hygiene supplies to people around Oxford. We trialled staggered arrival times, which seemed to work well so we’ll continue with that for now - it seems wise to minimise the number of people congregating outside the hall at any one time.

With 34 pairs of hands on deck tonight we made light work of 35 food parcels, and got them delivered pretty swiftly across Oxford. We’ve managed well with fewer people the last few weeks, but it’s certainly easier and quicker with the full team.

Parcels include a mix of fresh and tinned food, depending on the storage and cooking facilities available to the recipient. We try to give people a range of items to see them through 3 meals a day for as much of the week as possible. Sometimes that is difficult as the fresh food isn't available, but fortunately there was a good selection for us to choose from tonight. I know some of you got a decent arm workout carrying bags of root vegetables! Those of you delivering nappies definitely got the easy option today.

Requests for help are already increasing now we are in lockdown again. It's upsetting to see how many people are struggling to feed themselves, but I'm glad we can be part of the team providing a lifeline.

Thank you all for your contribution. I hope it gave you a little extra exercise and interaction to brighten your week.

Warm welcome to Christie, Steven, Kessem, Emily and Kate who all joined us on a group task for the first time - lovely to have you on board!