Supporting communities
throughout the lockdown

In order to comply with Government guidance on social distancing we had to cancel a number of events and our regular programmes, but the work of our coordinators remains vital in this difficult period to help local groups and organisations connecting and coordinating and to support a cohesive society.

We are exploring new ways of being relationally close to people and groups even when we stay physically distant.

Read more here, and see below some examples of our work during the lockdown, and how some of the project that we funded have decided to carry on their work in the energency situation.

“Kindness is contagious” POstcard

We have created a postcard that people can download, print and give to a neighbour.

While we recognise the tremendous benefits of online technologies (like Zoom and WhatsApp) in engaging people, it is also important to recognise that not everyone has access to these technologies or wants to use them.

This postcard is specifically designed for staying in touch with those neighbours that are less able to use new technologies or don’t have the possibility to be connected online.

You can read more about the postcard, and download it, here.

VIRTUAL COFFEE mornings

In many hubs our coordinators have been organising virtual meetings and coffee mornings with local groups in order to provide support and connection during this difficult time.

The group “Supporting Sister” in Bury organises weekly sessions called “Chit chat and Chai mornings”: these are occasions to foster the connections that exist amongst local women, to share experiences of the lockdown, to create new friendship.

Our local coordinator in the Black Country has set up virtual coffee mornings with the ladies groups she was working with, in order to keep the relationship supported and help with issues during self-isolation.

“Knowing you”

“Knowing you” is a project funded by Near Neighbours in West London: a photography course for women to explore issues of identity and relationship.

Since the beginning they created a WhatsApp group to keep participants informed of any project updates - this has become the main way of delivering the project, as they decided to carry on despite the lockdown, also as a way to offer support and connection to the participants.

You can read more about this project here.

“Cooking with Parveen”

Organised by the Mafwa Theatre and funded by our West Yorkshire hub, this project brings together a group of refugee women and a group of local women from Leeds for cooking sessions and organising a community play.

Not being possible to deliver the project face-to-face, they now post to each of the participants a weekly recipe and a voucher to buy the ingredients; they share the cooking experience via WhatsApp.

More info here.

SUpporting People in need

In many hubs our coordinators have been helping local groups to set up and run schemes to support the most vulnerable people in self-isolation.

In Barnet two projects that we funded recently and that have met at our Real People Honest Talk Big Conversation, BreadndButtercCIC and Burnt Oak Women Group are working together to provide cooked meals to local people.

In Barking and Dagenham, another project supported by our local hub, Excel Women’s Association helps distribute food to the community and delivers cooked meals to the local foodbank and to homeless people.

Our hub in Birmingham is working with Thrive Together Birmingham to set up a food collection and distribution scheme at Edgbaston Stadium to get food out to charities and community groups supporting those in need.