Members of a Burngreave community project have received an extra special visit from Sports Minister Richard Caborn.
The Sheffield MP called in at The Halal Lunch Club, at the Yemeni Community Centre, on Burngreave Road, to chat with Muslim elders and see some of the culinary delights on offer.
The group, which is funded by £186,000 over three years by Burngreave New Deal for Communities (BNDfC), provides nutritious food and social support for members of Burngreave's Muslim community who are over 50.
Mr Caborn, MP for Sheffield Central, which includes Burngreave, said: "I've had a really good time. I always enjoy coming back to Burngreave to catch up on what's happening, I have been coming here for 30 or 40 years now.
“A lot of the older men that come to the Halal Lunch Club had links with my dad, George, who was a trade union leader in the city. So it is always nice to return here, have a chat and a catch up about old times.”
The Halal Lunch Club was set up just over a year ago to fill a gap in services for elderly Muslim people and ensure they maintain a healthy diet by providing them with a nutritious, hot halal meal.
It now runs five lunches a week with around 15 members of the community attending each one. The sessions last approximately three hours, giving people the opportunity to get out and about and socialise.
They can also take part in a variety of activities including English lessons, art and creative writing workshops.
Magda Boo, Health and Crime Theme Manager at BNDfC, said: “We are delighted to be able to support The Halal Lunch Club. It was really great of Mr Caborn to take time out of his busy schedule to visit the members and see how the project is successfully supporting older members of the community.”
Although the lunch club has different sessions for Yemeni, Somali and Pakistani males and females, this is not exclusive and they welcome people to mix.
For more information about the Halal Lunch Club, contact Magda Boo on 0114 292 0394.