A Meals on Wheels service that was set up to help the elderly and vulnerable during lockdown has won a national award.

St Davids Befriending Group and Pembrokeshire County Council’s Community Meals on Wheels (MoW) project scooped the Delivering Social Value award at the prestigious Ystadau Cymru awards.

The awards recognise excellence in active management of the Welsh public sector estate through strategic collaboration and good practice guidance.

A Meals on Wheels service was last operated in St Davids in the late 1980s when it was run by the Royal Voluntary Service.

And although Pembrokeshire County Council tried twice to re-establish this in the early 2000s – it was without success.

But, come the autumn of 2020 the St Davids Befrienders got together to try once more to restart the service. It launched in April 2021 – and it has gone from strength-to-strength.

All the meals are cooked by the staff at the Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi canteen tying into the concept of the school at the heart of the community.

The scheme has provided people with a hot meal and helped the vulnerable in the community through the pandemic.

The judging panel hailed the project for being an inspiration to bringing a collaborative effort to life and realising what can be done when the public sector and resilient communities come together.

The St Davids Befriending Group is made up of local individuals who work together on a voluntary basis in collaboration with Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi.

Cllr David Lloyd, who helps deliver the meals, thanked all involved with the scheme.

“I am honoured to be part of such an incredible team that time after time delivers a wonderful service to people in St Davids,” he said.

“This is a true team effort from the St Davids Befrienders to our friends at Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi.

“The delight on the people’s faces when the food arrives, or when someone knocks on the door just for a chat, is something to behold. it is absolutely moving.

“It makes everything worthwhile and brings the community together.”

Cllr David Simpson, leader of Pembrokeshire County Council added: ‘This is a hugely successful and significant project for the people of St David’s – and I’m delighted it has been celebrated in this way. This is an incredible achievement.”