Legacy
Legacy
Please note: this post is 114 months old and The Cares Family is no longer operational. This post is shared for information only
I wanted to write a few words about London and my relationship with it. A relationship that has changed dramatically during my time with North London Cares.
I was first introduced to the charity at a gig in Crouch End. My wife's a musician and was playing a few songs at the Haberdashery Cafe. Alex, NLC's CEO was there to raise some money and talk to people about the work North London Cares does across Camden and Islington.
I'll be honest, I was there to watch Lucy play, catch up with a couple of mates and have a few beers. An evening routine I was very familiar with! I didn't pay much attention to the funny-looking bloke taking a few quid on the door. Until he explained to us what North London Cares was all about...
I took a leaflet away, followed @NLCares on Twitter (standard bookmark-for-later tool) and what I'd heard slowly made it's way to the back of my mind. A lot of the info back there gets forgotten about but what Alex said that evening, stayed. It then slowly made its way back to the front!
I made contact with NLC in March 2014 and was invited to come along to a social club by Laura. By this point I was only working part-time so wanted to contribute regularly, weekly hopefully. I started to attend the Kentish Town Community Centre on a Wednesday afternoon and have been doing so ever since.
I wasn't in the best place when I first started. Sometimes you go through a bit of a lull, don't you? When I moved down from Manchester a few years before I'd got ideas and lists everywhere, preparing for new routines and a new start. But new routines slowly become, well, routine. Life moves on pretty fast down here and your goals and ideals can get a bit lost. As well as being inspired by what I'd heard Alex say that night and genuinely wanting to meet new people with a view to tackling isolation amongst North London's elderly, volunteering was the kick up backside I personally needed.
Being part of the Kentish Town club and NLC in general has been brilliant. The older neighbours and volunteers learn so much from each other. The young, older (and in between!) make new and lasting friendships with people they simply wouldn't have come across without NLC. The informal nature of the clubs, mixed with the variety of well organised activities on offer make for a great combination in which socialising becomes easier.
NLC also run a scheme called Love Your Neighbour. Martha, a brilliant lady who has recently struggled with her eyesight was introduced to me by Jess, NLC's Projects Officer, after an email to us from Martha's family. She wanted to connect with her community again but it was difficult and she needed some help getting places. So, I now drop in for a brew and a chat with Martha before walking up to the club together. Simple. But very effective. Both myself and Martha have gained an extra friend and she's enjoying the social club - meeting new people and even rekindling old friendships with people she'd lost touch with.
That's my journey with NLC so far. In fact, it's still in its infancy really as they've now employed me to help run the social clubs amongst lots more! I'm excited to see what the future holds for the charity and the areas in which we work.