Legacy
Legacy
Please note: this post is 139 months old and The Cares Family is no longer operational. This post is shared for information only
A year ago, north Londoner Amy started volunteering with North London Cares. Here she writes about the many different activities she's been part of, and how her new older friends have inspired her...
BY AMY BOGUE
It started with a tweet...
Alex just spent 2 hours with Mrs Hawes, discussing the Wall St Crash, WW2 and family. Tweet us to get involved to support a neighbour.
At the time I was considering which north London organisation to volunteer for. I was hoping to boost my CV ready for the next step in my career the following year and I was open to ideas on how I could donate my time. But my reaction to this tweet was different. It stirred something in me that I now realise I'd longed for since I left home for university over 13 years ago: a connection with an older generation and a sense of community spirit.
For most of my teenage years I shared Mondays after school with my grandma and her best friend. When I look back on those days it seems every moment took place within spring or summer. Light and warmth would pour into Helen's third floor council flat as we giggled over tales from their past, and my present, over a cup of tea. My grandma, Clarice, sadly passed away during my first year at uni and somehow this tweet from North London Cares uncovered an emptiness that I'd long forgotten existed.
On a more practical level, what attracted me to the project was the ease with which I could volunteer. I can be a bit of a commitment-phobe when it comes to my spare time -- I like to be able to jump at last minute dinners planned by friends, gigs put on by my favourite artists and other exciting opportunities this great city throws my way -- yet it's not in my nature to do things half-heartedly. North London Cares seemed to offer the perfect solution: a chance to become a dedicated volunteer in London on my own terms, around both work and my social life.
A swift reply, a re-tweet, and an email later, and I was ready for my first date -- a date that embodied the very spirit of North London Cares -- as part of the Love Your Neighbour project. By tidying up a garden in nearby Finsbury Park for just a few hours one Saturday afternoon I was able to provide some much needed help and companionship to Doreen and her adorable grandson. At the same time I learnt new skills (you should see my weeding technique!) made new friends and, most importantly, had fun.
For my second date I was able to incorporate another passion of mine: music. I joined Ellie and four other care home residents on my lunch break to see members of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in a stunning venue, on a concert trip North London Cares arranges in partnership with LSO St Luke's. It was Ellie's first ever classical concert and it was such a joy to share the experience with her. As I helped Ellie leave the building I was grinning from ear to ear, and I knew that my crush on North London Cares was about to turn into a full blown obsession!
My favourite date, and the one I keep coming back to, is the regular Tuesday Film Night at The Drover's Centre near Cally Rd. I love the fact that walking through the door into a sea of smiling faces in our makeshift cinema room always feels like coming home after a trip abroad -- no matter how long we are apart.
What I most enjoy about these special occasions are the countless intriguing conversations we share over a cuppa -- from dancing the tango and attempting to swim again after years in fear, to thoughts on gender, travel, religion and outer body experiences. At the end of 'It's a Wonderful Life' I've shed a tear with 80-year year old Lil over how she met her soul mate in later life, and the fact she still misses him desperately. This from the woman that reduces us all to fits of laughter on a regular basis, and who told Richard Curtis she thought Notting Hill was "so boring" live on the BBC!
I've loved watching the way North London Cares has grown from strength to strength and evolved whilst breaking down barriers and introducing people who might not normally interact. With more innovative projects on the horizon, including inter-generational Summer Sessions in partnership with Castlehaven Community Association, I know I will be with North London Cares for many years to come.
Next month marks my one year anniversary with this remarkable community network, and what a wonderful year it has been! I'm out of cassettes for a mix tape, I can't afford a mini break, so I'm hoping this love letter will suffice in saying thank you for everything, North London Cares.