A group of remarkable young teenagers have been delivering food to those who need it throughout the pandemic on the Kingsmead Estate in Hackney. They do this for a Community Shop set up through a partnership between the Made-Up Kitchen and an organisation called Rise365.
Rise 365 was set up by Jocelyn, who has over 18 years of youth work under her belt, and her partner. Jocelyn was devastated to see the way young people were being isolated by Covid restrictions. So she set up the Community Shop not only to make sure that local residents got food, but also as a way to reach out to young people.
The response she received from young people offering support was overwhelming. The teenagers trust Jocelyn and believe in what she is trying to do. This is helped by the fact that she has known many of the residents who live on the estate for a long time. The project also offers an escape to teenagers who have felt stranded because of the pandemic.
Every Saturday a group of teenagers come into the Community Shop and phone the people on their list to ask them what they want. They then pack and deliver the food themselves. Building up the food shop took time, consideration and love. The team now deliver home-cooked meals as well as fresh produce and other food items that people can cook with at home.
Jocelyn has seen the way the project brings neighbours together and helps generate a sense of pride and belonging in the community. But the most significant impact, she said, has come from the teenagers helping out. “Out of everyone, it’s the young people that have stepped up to support their community. Normally they are seen in this negative light, hanging around on the streets and doing nonsense…. Everybody is proud of them. Parents are proud of them and even the young people themselves are very proud of themselves.”
The Community Shop has featured on ITV, SKY News, The East London Gazette and other news outlets. Jocelyn hopes the publicity might attract some government funding in order to keep the food shop running even after the pandemic.
But until then this independent organisation has to get by only on donations. “But imagine if 500,000 people donated one pound each,” said Jocelyn. “It would make a big difference. It’s also about people getting behind positiveness and investing in communities and young people.” The link for donations is here.
Jocelyn and her supporters would also like to develop a street gym with a garden to grow produce for the community. Working in the garden would also help young people’s mental wellbeing, particularly in these difficult days of Covid. The young people already have a name for the garden: The Middles. A GoFundMe page has been set up for the project, which you can find here.