A SOCIAL enterprise which supports older people to live independently in their own homes has been shortlisted for a national award.

Snow Angels CIC, based in Greenbank, is one of 10 organisations in the running for the Stoves Community Kitchens competition prize.

The competition aims to ‘enrich’ communities by offering thousands of pounds of cooking appliances as prizes to help transform kitchen facilities.

Snow Angels works with more than 250 older people, supported by a network of more than 50 volunteers, and is about to launch a series of lunch clubs in mid Cheshire for older people, as well as working with a school to provide work placements to support the clubs.

Formed in June 2012, the social enterprise is supported by a range of organisations including the NHS and councils to provide befriending services, support with practical tasks around the home, reminiscence work, and a project helping older people to get on-line through free loans of iPads.

All the older people are phoned once a week to check how they are getting on and there is a helpline.

Cathy Boyd, director at Snow Angels, said: “We are based at a local community hub in Northwich and our lunch clubs will be run from here.

“Winning new equipment will enable us to improve the quality of the food provided and ensure that we can cater to a wide range of dietary needs.

“We are part of the local Foodshare scheme and will be supported by a local supermarket from October onwards this year.

“We would also like to be able to provide cookery lessons from the community hub and this equipment will support this project.”

Snow Angels has already beaten hundreds of projects nationwide to get to this stage.

The public vote, conducted via stoves.co.uk/community-kitchen-voting-2018 is open until Monday, May 28.

Full details of all the projects can be found on the voting page.

Bronze, silver and gold packages worth between £2,000 and £5,000 will then be awarded to winning projects.