Highland firm Tulloch Homes to donate £1000 a week to Inverness Food Bank

The biggest housebuilder in the Highlands is to provide food bank support during the coronavirus crisis.

As a result of financial support from Tulloch Homes – £1000 a week for the next eight weeks – Highland Food Bank plans to begin a delivery service next week for those in extreme need.

Inverness Food Bank manager Lorna Dempster said: "This is simply fantastic. I was overwhelmed when I received the phone call. It was such a huge relief.

"Tulloch Homes may have their own issues in the present situation, but it is wonderful that they have taken the time to think about helping the most needy people in our communities.

"This will enable us to launch a delivery service to those who have no food and no money for food – and there are plenty of those in our area.

"We’ll also be able to make bulk purchases of food from wholesalers when our current stocks inevitably dwindle in the present crisis."

Inverness Food Bank will use staff from Blythswood Care’s main depot at Evanton, which has closed due to coronavirus, to help deliver their food packages, with the city significantly the largest recipient.

Earlier this week Tulloch Homes announced that it was closing building operations across the country for the foreseeable future, as part of the national coronavirus lockdown.

However the firm's chief executive, George Fraser, said it was important for it to continue doing what it can to help in the community.

"This is our 95th anniversary year and the Highlands has been our core market down the decades," he said.

“We felt it was important that we do something to show our support for the communities of the area. There are many groups doing sterling work just now but Inverness Food Bank is the one of greatest value to those already in financial crisis.

“Being able to help them introduce a much-needed delivery service is a valuable outcome from our weekly cash injection throughout April and May. We take satisfaction from enabling these deliveries to happen.”

He added:”We see this as putting something back when the area is enduring such difficult times.”

Mrs Dempster said she hoped the housebuilder’s initiative might encourage others to offer assistance.

“No one knows how much demand for our services will escalate, but it is inevitable that the numbers will increase very sharply," she said.

"We just have to try our best to cope.

“Our food delivery operation will not be for those who are self-isolating, who may have means and other options – it is for those in dire straits, and we know there are plenty of them just now.”

Related article: Tulloch Homes closes down construction sites

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.