HOMELESS and vulnerable people in the North West are set to benefit this winter from a new mobile catering van that will be touring the streets handing out a delicatessen of dishes.

The state of the art van has been donated to charity Bolton Nice, which helps the homeless and families struggling to survive, by 2ufood which has a fleet of trucks delivering meals to businesses all over the North from its depots in St Helens and Little Hulton.

2ufood had already been helping Bolton Nice by donating food every week for a number of years but the new van with its custom built catering facility will help transform the service the charity provides.

“At the moment we just put a table up somewhere and we’re operating from doorways and such places” says Martin Mcloughlin of Bolton Nice.

“Now, we don’t have to just go to one place, we can actually move around offering more help including hot and cold food, soups, even porridge if people want it…plus sleeping bags, hats, gloves…anything to get people through the night, and the winter.

“And the side comes up on the van so we get them under cover as well and talk to them.”

At present, Bolton Nice is helping between forty and sixty people a week, but Martin reckons that number is going to increase drastically thanks to the donation from 2ufood, which employs many local people and is rooted within the local community.

“We have been supporting Bolton Nice for a number of years now and from the first time that we met Martin and the team, their passion and enthusiasm for the charity were immeasurable” says Paul Foster, Managing Director of 2ufood.

“The work they do in the wider community is nothing short of amazing and we are delighted to be associated with such a cause.”

The new van is already in operation and Bolton Nice is always looking for volunteers who want to help the homeless and some of the most vulnerable people in the North West.

Anyone wanting to get involved can contact Martin on 07900 535403.

For further details see www.2ufood.co.uk