Maitland Meals On Wheels is about to move into a new era with the same ­dedicated group of volunteers making sure meals are delivered to people in need.

The organisation will move from Banks Street, East Maitland, to a new base in John Street, Telarah, from where volunteers will deliver meals four days a week to 200 people.

All meals are now prepared in Newcastle and are frozen or chilled before they come to Maitland.

The Banks Street production kitchen will close down and equipment has been donated to Real Life Church and Aussie Care Disaster Relief Services.

There are 175 volunteers working with Maitland Meals On Wheels which started in 1968.

One of its long serving volunteers Barbara Heckman, of Windella, said there are some volunteers who have been with the organisation for 30 to 40 years.

“This will be a new era for us,” she said.

“We have moved around quite a bit over the past 45 years. It all started with only two meals being prepared at Maitland Hospital, then as we grew we found other premises such as the Guide Hall at East Maitland, Maitland Town Hall and then the need became so great we came to Banks Street where we had supervisors and cooks getting the meals prepared.”

There will also so be a weekly lunch group at the new John Street premises where guests come in on a community bus for a meal and a social outing.

Maitland Community Care Services general manager Suzanne Fuller said the John Street site will be the distribution centre for breakfast, lunch and dinner and caters to all dietary needs.

Meals on Wheels now has a new 20-page menu offering people a big choice including salmon, lamb shanks, multicultural meals and wine. Meals are also available for purchase from John Street which is open to all members of the community.