Last week brought a moment of quiet generosity as The Highland Council’s Waste Services team joined hands with Highland Foodbank to deliver a much-needed boost to local families.
The gesture came in the form of £500 worth of food and essentials, donated by Jett Distribution, the company behind the region’s recent wheeled bin deliveries.
Since April, Jett Distribution has been hard at work delivering over 115,000 grey wheeled bins and 25,000 food caddies across the Highlands, as part of a major update to the Council’s waste and recycling services.
Funded by the Scottish Government’s Recycling Improvement Fund, the programme is one of the largest of its kind in Scotland, aiming to make it easier for households to recycle more and waste less.
But Jett’s support has gone beyond bins and logistics.
As their work in the region nears completion, they’ve made a meaningful donation to Highland Foodbank, operated by Blythswood Care, who provide vital emergency food parcels to people facing hardship.
Councillor Graham MacKenzie, Chair of the Communities and Place Committee, praised the contribution.
“This is a superb example of how a council contract can bring wider benefits to the community,” he said.
“Jett Distribution have not only delivered their service on time and within budget, but they’ve also gone the extra mile to help those in need.”
Jamie Humphries, Director at Jett, described the donation as a gesture of thanks to Highland communities.
“The Trussell Trust is a charity close to our hearts,” he said.
“We wanted to show our gratitude by supporting a foodbank that helps people right here in the Highlands.”
For Highland Foodbank, the timing couldn’t be better.
According to Neill Prentice, Fundraising Manager for North Scotland at Blythswood, more than 5,000 people received help from their Inverness foodbank last year.
“Generosity like this keeps our shelves stocked and our doors open,” he said.
“To the team at Jett Distribution, we say thank you on behalf of every family your kindness has reached.”
The final stage of the bin roll-out will take place in Lochaber from September 2025.
Until then, the Waste Services team and their partners will continue their quiet work behind the scenes, helping Highland households one bin, and one kind gesture, at a time.
