Hawksworth Wood Children's Centre set up the service in partnership with Hawksworth Older People's Support, Hawksworth Community Association and the YMCA to deliver to those less able to travel far to shops. It is called FADDS (Five-A-Day Delivery Service) as it aims to provide a healthy option to customers.
Wendy Flatters, a family support worker at the children's centre, came up with the idea after taking part in similar schemes around Leeds. She said, 'We only have one shop on the estate and it doesn't always have fruit and vegetables in stock. People with young children and buggies will then have to take the bus into town at extra cost. We're trying to keep the costs down while providing Five-A-Day to families.'
Staff collect orders on Mondays and then visit wholesale suppliers in time for delivery on Thursdays by the Community Association's mini-bus. All four organisations and the Hawksworth Wood Primary School are outlets for the delivery order forms, while the children's centre provides a base.
'We're working more closely with other local organisations because it's a four-way project now,' added Ms Flatters. 'There's a lot more communication going on between us now and I think that will be a really good thing for the future. Depending on how the delivery service goes, we may open a market stall in the future too.'
