THE closure of kitchens at Wyesham School mean that the Meals on Wheels service for Monmouth will change at the end of the month.
Mrs Moyna Wilkinson and Mrs Beverley Moore of Monmouthshire County Council met Monmouth Town Council to tell them about the changes.
The service has been operating from Monmouth for a number of years with the help of more than 60 volunteers.
However, the closure of the kitchens at Wyesham meant they no longer had a base for their ovens and would instead operate from a van which heated the meals as it delivered them. This meant a large number of volunteers would not now be needed.
Mrs Wilkinson said they had looked for other suitable premises without success and the "Chef-mobile" was the only solution to continuing the service.
The service needed kitchens that were large enough to cope with their ovens and the number of volunteers involved as well as easy access.
They were extremely grateful to all the volunteers who had helped over the years and were arranging face-to-face meetings to explain the situation.
Cllr Mrs Eileen Goodrich said that she had spoken to the service, volunteers and those who received meals. She felt as sorry for the volunteers as for the people trying to find somewhere from which to operate.
Cllr Dermot Downes suggested the service approach the Priory Rooms to see if they could help.
Cllr Mrs Caroline Pearce pointed out that the School would have liked to continue the service but had been told by the County Council that they could not longer provide meals. The School was very concerned at losing the kitchens and she suggested the Town Council lobby the County Council.
Mayoress Cllr Mrs Susan White asked what would happen if the van broke down. Mrs Moore said it would be hired from a specialist firm who could provide a replacement if necessary.
Cllr Jeff Smith said more than 60 volunteers was a very valuable resource and he urged the organisers to try and utilise that resource.