Stirling community café serves thousands of meals while tackling isolation as well as hunger

A Stirling community café built around free food and an open door has expanded its support for people dealing with food insecurity and isolation.

Support for Families runs Aunties at its St John Street base, offering free hot meals and drinks every Tuesday alongside a community fridge and hygiene essentials. A £5,000 Virgin Unite Local Legends grant helped the project grow beyond its pilot stage.

During the funded period, the organisation reported more than 2,000 visits and thousands of meals and take-home parcels. The model deliberately treats food and loneliness as connected problems: somebody can come in because the cupboard is empty and still leave having had a conversation as well as lunch.