A car company specifically aimed for disabled people has launched a new service to combat loneliness and take away the stress of cooking over a hot stove at weekends.

The Sunday Lunch Club, run by Mid Devon Mobility, offers free transport for people with disabilities so they can travel to local pubs for a tasty roast dinner.

Hayley Hillman, business development manager, Mid Devon Mobility, told Devon Live, “Our findings and reports have shown that the majority of our customers find the weekends are the loneliest times. It has been reported that Sundays are the loneliest day of the week for the older community, with a third of over 70’s eating alone.

“Our Sunday Lunch Club programme gives the more isolated members of our community something to look forward to at the weekends, helping give confidence and mobility back to elderly and disabled individuals post Covid-19 pandemic.”

The lunch club is part of the Driving Away Loneliness project funded by the Devon County Council Connecting You Project which supports local vulnerable people in the rural community of Mid Devon who feel isolated from society.

There’s also an accessible day service catering for seniors aged 70 or over which provides entertainment, fun and social activities on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings held at the Mid Devon Mobility centre.

Hilman added: “We are so pleased to receive the Connecting You grant funding. It means that we can increase the Community Hub Bus driver’s hours to provide a door-to-door, accessible transport service to our Community Hub facility from the more rurally isolated villages areas of Mid Devon where there is limited or no public service provision.”

Devon County Council’s portfolio holder for transport, Councillor Andrea Davis said: ‘The Driving Away Loneliness initiative is a good match for Devon’s Connecting You community grant fund. The recognition that transport plays a significant role in helping people get together to enjoy the company of others and have the opportunity to participate in activities is at the core of how our funding can support local projects.”

[ Mid Devon Mobility mission is to enhance people’s lives, provide opportunities and bring people and communities together. ]