Aylesbury meals on wheels delivery driver nominated for 'Hidden Hero' award

Working for apetito, which is responsible for some 60% of meals on wheels nationwide, and based in the Buckinghamshire depot in Aylesbury, Kellie and Sam are part of a bigger team who collectively deliver nearly 2 million meals across the UK each year.

Local driver, Kellie Rennie, who was nominated by customers in Buckinghamshire for her lovely cheerful and helpful manner, says,

“It’s an honour to be recognised by our customers. I love my job and it’s a great feeling knowing that we make a real difference to our customers lives. I was overwhelmed and humbled by the positive feedback from our customers.”

Comments from customers and their families, included ‘Kellie is always very pleasant and smiling, I really like seeing her’ and ‘She is always bright and cheerful and understanding’.

The second of these awards goes to Sam Sasso, who has received the Manager’s Hidden Hero award.

Sam is well known around Aylesbury, delivering meals to the vulnerable all across the Vale.

Apetito Operations Manager, Jon Jackson, says: “Sam is popular among many of our customers, having received many positive nominations for these awards, in addition to the praise regularly expressed by customers and their families to our office team. I chose Sam for this award as she is always willing to go above and beyond to support colleagues and customers.

“These awards are our way of giving ALL our drivers the recognition, praise and thanks they deserve. Every single one of our drivers regularly go beyond the call of duty to help customers and provide that added reassurance to family members their loved ones are safe, particularly earlier in the year when local authority support teams and carers, who monitor and care for individuals, may not have been able to visit."

Meals on Wheels Week 2020 celebrates the magnificent work of Meals on Wheels teams, who played a pivotal role in the Covid-19 frontline effort, giving recognition and praise to those who have been the hidden heroes of the pandemic.

Meals on Wheels services provide a vital lifeline to the elderly and vulnerable, enabling them to continue living independently in the community all year round. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of vulnerable people living in the community, confined to their own homes and reliant on others, increased significantly.

To find out more about apetito’s Meals on Wheels service, visit https://www.apetito.co.uk/meals-on-wheels/ or call 01296 381 933.