Legacy
Legacy
Please note: this post is 97 months old and The Cares Family is no longer operational. This post is shared for information only
On the last weekend of October, I squeezed most of my wardrobe into bags, packed up my books, and then crammed the hundreds of photos and bits of memorabilia that I have hoarded (but don’t have the heart to throw away!) into boxes, and moved to north London! By the Wednesday of the following week I had attended four North London Cares Social Clubs – from puppet making to painting nails at a Gals Galore – and by the end of the week I felt like I had been welcomed into a warm and friendly north London community. The move wasn’t as hard as expected: successfully navigated the tube- Tick. Met new, interesting and kind people- Tick.
As a young person and being new to London I appreciate how daunting this amazing city can be. These feelings honed for me the importance of North London Cares work to bring people together, chat and share stories, helping all get to grips with London as it is today. I feel that this is particularly important for our older neighbours who have seen the city change in front of their eyes. It is North London Cares’ ambition to challenge isolation and loneliness, especially of older people in London, rather than accept is as a status quo of aging, that inspired me to want to work for them.
Community to me means being part of something; individuals being united by something bigger. For myself one example would be my part in the small community of my family. This community is mostly defiantly headed up by my wonderful grandmother and we are usually congregated around a dinner table, trying to be the loudest fans at a Weymouth FC game, or competing against each other in an annual egg roll at Easter (I am currently the reigning champion). We share common memories and love, and even though we don’t always see eye to eye, we will always look out for each other.
Although not always this familiar, communities are important as they allow us all to get to know one another, share time and experiences and to belong to something, no matter how informal. They can be a tool to reduce isolation, and increase wellbeing as well as an opportunity for difference to be understood and accepted. It also never ceases to amaze me how much we can find in common with each other despite our obvious differences and the North London Cares community demonstrates this everyday.
In terms of my new job, as one of North London Cares’ Social Clubs Coordinators along with Mike, I will be organising and hosting a range of events across Camden & Islington that bring older and younger neighbours together to have fun. The programme is busy and diverse, which is great as we get to try new and different things all the time. It is lovely working with different characters and I am excited to meet more neighbours and volunteers in the coming weeks. As we come into the festive season you will see me at a Thanks Giving party and Christmas craft clubs- as well as eating plenty of mince pies! I have always wanted to work in a job where I feel like I am making a positive difference with others and so far, telling from the smiles and laughter, I can really feel that.
Thank you for the warm welcome north London! I look forward to meeting more of you soon.