Ross County is throwing open the doors to its local community to help struggling families weather the cost of living crisis.
The Ross County Foundation, the official charity partner of the football club, has announced it is launching the Dingwall community kitchen at the club’s Global Energy Stadium on Jubilee Park Road.
The scheme, which will officially launch in January, will provide free warm meals to those in need on a weekly basis to help tackle food poverty and social isolation.
The kitchen will open one afternoon a week to people from Dingwall and surrounding towns and villages such as Muir of Ord, Conon Bridge, Maryburgh, Alness, Invergordon.
The venture was made possible by a grant worth £6,020 from the Highland Council’s cost of living fund.
‘We don’t want there to be a stigma around this’
Dale Pryde-MacDonald, foundation manager, said he hopes the initiative will have a positive impact on the community by helping to bring them together.
He said: “It is not just about tackling food poverty. This project is about social isolation, providing a warm space and bringing that sense of community, not to the people but the people bringing it to themselves by collectively coming together in this space.
“It is here for the people in our community that serve us and we serve because at the end of the day we are grateful to have the supporters we have in the football club and this is us just being able to give a percentage of that back.”
The Dingwall community kitchen forms part of the charity’s plans to transform the stadium into a community hub.
The Staggies bar will be made into a community space to allow those struggling to come for a hot meal in a warm environment.
The kitchen will be open once a week for people of all ages for the first six months of 2023.
Various other service providers will also be on hand to talk about energy provision, mental health and nutrition.
Giving locals somewhere to call home
Mr Pryde-MacDonald said the community kitchen is part of a larger “long-term” plan.
“We are overwhelmed by the support of the councillors and that Highland Council has seen the value of what we are trying to do,” he added.
“This isn’t a flash in the pan, short-term thing. This is part of a long-term movement to make sure that our people in Dingwall and surrounding areas have something they can call home.”
Local councillor Margaret Paterson welcomed the scheme and feels it will make a big difference to those feeling the strain.
She said: “When the foundation came to us applying for funding, we were absolutely delighted to approve it because we can see this is what the people need. They need to feel that loving feeling, that the people want them to come.
“People have lost their confidence a bit and to get that back sometimes just talking to other people and listening to others can help.”
Steven Ferguson, chief executive of Ross County, says choosing between heating and eating shouldn’t be a choice.
He added: “We feel that it is really important. The fact that we can provide a service for what people are needing is great.
“The fact that people in our local community are going to benefit from it is really important to us and it is a credit to Dale Pryde-MacDonald and his team that they have been able to secure the funding to run such an initiative.
“It is so widespread. Everybody is so socially aware that people are struggling through no fault of their own and any little help that we can give, we are definitely looking to do it.”
Conversation