Harrogate Neighbours' Food Angels meals on wheels service wants volunteer drivers. Tom Gordon MP joined a volunteer of almost seven years to back the call.
Harrogate Neighbours is looking for more volunteers for Food Angels, its award-winning meals on wheels service, and Tom Gordon, the MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has added his voice to the call at the start of Meals on Wheels Week, which runs from Monday 2 to Friday 6 November.
The MP visited Harrogate Neighbours at The Cuttings and talked to Chris Tapping, who has volunteered with Food Angels for almost seven years. According to the MP’s office, Mr Tapping explained that the people who receive the meals get far more than good nutrition: regular human contact, and a welfare and hydration check at the door.
Drivers can also spot problems early, the office said, “from cold or unsafe homes and falls risks to changes in a person’s health or wellbeing, helping to identify problems before they develop into an emergency.”
Asked on camera what he would say to anyone thinking of getting involved, Mr Tapping’s answer was simple: “See what it’s like, and I can guarantee you will feel so good about it and that you’ve given something back.”
“It’s more than just a meal”
Mr Gordon is asking for two things: new volunteers, and for families to think about whether someone they love might benefit from the service.
“It’s more than just a meal,” he said. “Volunteers like Chris at [Harrogate Neighbours] provide vital wellbeing checks and are a lifeline to some of the most vulnerable.
“If you want to make a difference locally, you should absolutely reach out about volunteering.
“Take the opportunity to consider whether someone you know might benefit from the service. Good nutrition and hydration could make all the difference to maintaining their health and independence.”
What Food Angels does
The Food Angels page on the Harrogate Neighbours website says the meals are freshly prepared in the charity’s own kitchen, with a changing menu and a choice of dishes, and arrive in microwavable containers so they can be eaten straight away or reheated later. The volunteers who deliver them are trained and DBS-checked.
They are not care workers, the charity says, but if a Food Angel is worried about a customer’s wellbeing they can raise it through Harrogate Neighbours’ own procedures, which gives families “additional peace of mind” when they cannot visit every day.
The charity’s page quotes Alan, a customer who joined in 2025: “They are very, very good. The staff are great. They look after you, and I’ve had no complaints about the food, which is nice!”
You do not need to be in a care home or receive other care to use the service. The charity lists people who find shopping or cooking harder, people with reduced mobility, people recovering from illness, an operation or a hospital stay, people who live alone, and carers who would welcome help with meals. Most customers are older, but other adults can use it too.
Where it delivers
Food Angels currently delivers to Harrogate, Knaresborough, Starbeck, Ripon, Boroughbridge, Killinghall, Rossett, Harlow, Bilton, Jennyfields and the Wetherby Road area, according to the charity. Routes change, so it asks anyone outside those places to call and check.
What it means for you
- To volunteer: Harrogate Neighbours has a Be a Food Angel page. Call the Food Angels team on 01423 888 083 or email foodangels@hnha.co.uk and ask about a trial shift.
- To arrange meals for yourself or a relative: contact the same team, or the charity’s main line on 01423 888 777 (info@hnha.co.uk). It will tell you whether it delivers to your street and how ordering works.
Meals on Wheels Week
The week is run by the National Association of Care Catering under the banner More Than Just a Meal. Monday is “Spotlight Monday”, when MPs, councillors and community leaders are invited to join a delivery round or visit a kitchen; Tuesday thanks the volunteers, Wednesday is about nutrition and hydration, Thursday about staying warm and safe at home in winter, and Friday about the friendships made over shared meals.
The NACC says demand for meals on wheels is rising while provision declines. Its national chair, Neel Radia, said: “As a country we simply cannot afford to lose any more Meals on Wheels services.”
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