City of Wolverhampton Council has delivered 10,000 emergency food parcels to vulnerable residents since the start of the coronavirus lockdown.

The milestone was reached this week as council leader, Councillor Ian Brookfield, spoke of his pride at the efforts of the authority to “look after its own”.

Councillor Brookfield personally delivered the 10,000th food parcel to a resident on The Scotlands Estate who has underlying health conditions and lives alone.

In just a few days after the Government announced the lockdown last month, City of Wolverhampton Council swung into action and redeployed hundreds of staff away from their normal roles and converted WV Active Aldersley leisure centre into a distribution hub.

It was one of the first places in the country to start delivering parcels of free essential food supplies to vulnerable and isolated residents who have no other sources of help.

The council is now delivering more than 3,000 food parcels every week and demand continues to grow. Only people who are vulnerable with no other support network are eligible for a parcel. 

Councillor Brookfield, who is a former nurse and has been doing a weekly shift as a delivery driver throughout the crisis, said: “I deliver parcels every week and you can see how much it means to people when we turn up not just with a box full of supplies, but also a friendly face.

“Of course the food is important, but being able to talk with someone for a few minutes and see another human being, chat and have a bit of banter when you are isolated at home is often just as important.

“It means a lot, that is why we are doing it in Wolverhampton. We are trying to look after our own as best we can.”