Age Concern Sandwich Meals on Wheels service

28/07/2026 by Angeliki Papadaki

Provider in Focus | Age Concern Sandwich Meals on Wheels service

Discussion took place on 30th April 2026

This month, we’re speaking with Ben Garratt, Chief Officer at Age Concern Sandwich, about delivering a volunteer-led Meals on Wheels service in a largely rural area – and the realities of sustaining a service that is both operationally complex and critically important.

Freshly prepared main meal and side dishes at Age Concern Sandwich

A local service with a vital role

The service delivers freshly cooked hot meals to over 50 residents in Sandwich (Kent) and surrounding areas, covering a rural catchment of around five miles.

With around 30 meals delivered per day across four routes, the service relies heavily on volunteers to ensure meals reach those who need them.

As Ben explains, the offer goes far beyond food:

“We pride ourselves in cooking a fresh cooked meal and providing it hot and ready to eat – but it’s also about seeing friendly faces, checking up on people, and making sure they’re okay.”

The service primarily supports people over 50 who are unable to shop or cook for themselves, including older adults and those recovering from hospital discharge.

“We’re so crucial, our sector, to helping people. And we’re crucial to the NHS because we help prevent people ending up in hospital. But we don’t get enough support, not anymore, not like we used to. That’s one of the problems we face. It’s a cost issue.”

Image: Preparing for the day’s Meals on Wheels deliveries at Age Concern Sandwich

More than a meal: relationships and reassurance

A key strength of the service lies in the relationships built between volunteers and clients.

Volunteers don’t just deliver meals. They get to know the people they visit, notice changes, and feed this back to the team where needed.

This ongoing contact allows the service to:

Provide reassurance to clients and families
Identify emerging needs
Signpost or refer to other services where appropriate

“There’s a reason why someone needs that meal. You get to know them, understand their situation, and notice if something changes… their mood, their behaviour… and then you can act on that.”

A freshly prepared hot meal ready for delivery at Age Concern Sandwich

Volunteer-led, communication-driven

Unlike some services, Age Concern Sandwich does not rely on digital systems or route-planning software.

Instead, the service is built on strong communication and local knowledge.

In a rural setting, this is essential – especially when unexpected disruptions occur.

Ben reflects:

“If there’s roadworks, it can completely throw a route out. So the drivers let us know, and we work it out together. It’s all about communication.”

New volunteers are supported through shadowing and gradually introduced to routes, helping them build familiarity with both clients and local geography.

This also helps ensure continuity for clients:

“It’s not a strange person at the door.”

Operating in a challenging environment

Like many Meals on Wheels providers, the Age Concern Sandwich service faces ongoing challenges, particularly around:

Recruiting and retaining volunteers
Rising operational costs
Maintaining financial sustainability

“Finding sufficient volunteers is an ongoing challenge. We continue advertising for volunteers in all media platforms, but it’s a massive challenge – we couldn’t run the service without our volunteer drivers.”

At the same time, Ben highlights how wider economic pressures are being felt across the charitable Meals on Wheels sector:

“We have to keep an eye out on costs all the time. With rising costs, national insurance, wages… it’s getting really difficult for charities. A lot are under pressure. But the Meals on Wheels service we offer is a seriously crucial service. A lot of people don’t realise it. People just think someone’s getting a bit of dinner turning up for free, and that they don’t have to cook it… but there is a vast amount of people that are just not capable of cooking that dinner because of their disabilities and their frailty…”

Despite this, the service closely monitors its financial position, aiming to remain sustainable while continuing to deliver a high-quality offer. However, Ben reflects on the need for more support:

Freshly prepared dessert served with custard at Age Concern Sandwich

“More financial support from government and from the NHS… when they ask us to do things to help them, the funding should be better to reflect the costs that we incur.”

Why the service matters

Ben is clear about the wider role Meals on Wheels plays – not only for individuals, but for the health and care system:

“If the service wasn’t there, people would end up in hospital more. Social care would have to take over. It would cost the state more.”

Nutrition is a central part of this:

“A fresh, nutritious meal is really important. Without that, people’s health and wellbeing would go downhill.”

Without services like this, he suggests, people’s health can quickly decline – with wider consequences for individuals, families, and the system as a whole.

Looking ahead

While the service is currently stable, Ben reflects on the wider pressures facing the sector:

“It’s going to be a very challenging year for charities. Some services may not survive – and that’s not good for anyone.”

He highlights the need for:

Greater recognition of the sector’s value
More consistent support
Better alignment between expectations and funding

Advice for other providers

For people considering developing a new Meals on Wheels service, Ben advises:

“Make sure it’s good quality, nutritious food. People need to enjoy it – it matters.”

And if an existing Meals on Wheels service came to Ben for advice, he reflects:

“Always review your prices, always review your suppliers, always have a backup, always have a contingency plan because things can go wrong.”

Ben’s question to other Meals on Wheels providers

“How do you manage staff and volunteer costs within your service – and how does this influence what you charge?”

This reflects a key area of interest and challenge, particularly as different models (volunteer-led vs. paid delivery) shape how services operate and remain sustainable.

Learn more about the Age Concern Sandwich Meals on Wheels service
Contact: office@ageconcernsandwich.com | 01304 614 237

Do you run a Meals on Wheels service and have thoughts or experience to share? Join the conversation with other Meals on Wheels providers via our WhatsApp Community.