City volunteers seek drivers for meal deliveries

A group which gives free meals to nearly a thousand people in need each week across a city, has appealed for more people to help them as volunteer drivers.

Jan Kellond, who runs Friends of Di's Kitchen (FODK) from her Penn home in Wolverhampton, said they needed them to help deliver food for up to two hours on Thursday afternoons, when they run the weekly service.

Kellond cofounded the organisation in memory of her "wonderful" caring friend Dianne Henry, who ran a church soup kitchen in the city for six years.

FODK began in 2020, initially giving meals to six people, but now delivers to an average of 975 people each week, including about 470 children.

"Volunteer numbers have continued to grow each year, we now have a team of over 50 - but are always looking for driver volunteer for two hours on a Thursday afternoon," Kellond said.

Anyone who wants more details can contact the group.

Kellond, a retired teacher who taught for 40 years, said since March 2020 "FODK has given food to 169,000 guests across the city", which included 37,000 people since the beginning of last March.

The number it helps fluctuated but included about 90 single people.

Those they help receive either a meal or a bag of food to prepare dishes.

The group's community work was recognised with a King's Award in 2024.

"Because of the support from large organisations, local charities and CICs [community interest companies], small businesses and individuals - who often send food or a cash donation when we least expect it - we have continued to grow and help those in need of food across our city every Thursday," she said.

A recent unexpected gift from outside the city was hundreds of packets of instant mashed potato from Idahoan Foods, after Kellond met a manager of the firm at the Good Food Show in Birmingham.

Last month, 310 of these were put into the bags and she told supporters "we will use the rest towards our meals over the next few weeks".

Kellond, who founded FODK with Diane Henry's widow Keith and other volunteers, said it maintained her friend's ethos of welcoming all, with food provided "free of charge and without judgement".

"We are humbled by the ongoing support we receive for our service from the Wolverhampton community," she added.

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