Thesis: Foodbank and London by bw.architects

MArch Architecture (RIBA/ARB Part 2) AR7282 Technical, Professional and Cultural Studies Modules – Level 7b (5th Year) Urban Design Theory – Christoph Hadrys

Foodbank and London

Br WO U1940639 12 January 2021

Student Statement This essay is the result of my own work and includes nothing which is the outcome of work done in collaboration except where specifically indicated in the text.

Student First Two Initials

: Br WO

Student Number

: U1940639

Date

: 12 January 2021

List of Contents Abstract

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Origin of foodbank

British workhouse

Rationing in United Kingdom

London foodbank

Food strategies in London

Mayor’s priorities and proposals

Case Studies

Salvation Army and St Mungos

F Foodbank and Food Cycle Foodbank

Calthorpe Community Garden Foodbank

Conclusion

References

Abstract There is a lot of foodbank in London. How is foodbank related to city planning? This paper aims to trace the origin of foodbank from British workhouse, rationing in United Kingdom and London foodbank. A series of London food strategies done by food advocates and Mayor of London were reviewed. Case studies on vulnerable in community-led shelter who visit foodbank and a series of urban mapping on community-led foodbank advocates in London. Collaborations among both are essential to tackle food poverty among vulnerable in London.

Introduction Urban food security and food systems are receiving growing attention at a global level and in a growing number of cities of all sizes. This includes happening in London, one of the world’s most exciting cities as it unable to feed Londoners and their families. In this essay, I research how foodbanks in London are operated and serviced, and how food advocates are related closely to urban planning. Although architectural literature, particularly on foodbank in London is limited, the articles or reports by food advocates which may be part of formal or informal food bank planning. The main reasons I choosing this topic because of my current design proposal a food bank in North Macedonia last year and Royal Docks this year. Some more I am a foodbank user and willing to share my reflections and insights over the years. I gained a lot of benefit from the foodbanks, and I believe some advocates have made tremendous progress over recent years. However, their practices have not been made visible to a bigger audience, and reflections on their limitations and successes deserve more significant attentions, especially the strategies done by Mayor of London. This essay aims to discuss the history and current situation of the foodbanks. By tracing of British workhouses during poor law and rationing during the first world war and second world war in United Kingdom, it brought me a more significant impact on overview of a foodbank. Understanding a foodbank user is the vital especially those clinically vulnerable. By reviewing the action plan took by the Mayor of London and food advocates, I sensed their vital roles. There are challenges to bring them close collaboration among another to tackle food poverty in London. A case study is studied on my personal experience in a community projects in homelessness leads to a foodbank. The journey of first visiting the homeless communities and foodbanks make me realise how close the collaborations among the social community-led project partners. A well thought of the space planning for the vulnerable needs by a shelter and foodbank in order to run smoothly. A critical thinking on how to provide the needs of accommodation by shelter and food by the foodbank cooperate together for the vulnerable. They are inter-related all the time.

Chapter 1 Origin of foodbank Foodbank is an organisation who help the poor who cannot afford the food. There is no official definition of the foodbank. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a food bank is a place where food is given to people who do not have enough money to buy it, for example, by a charity. (Oxford Dictionary, 2020) Depends on the degree of perception, foodbank users usually are glad to receive. As for some people, the existence of foodbank is an intensely divisive image, an uncomfortable underbelly of austerity often in touching distance of conspicuous wealth. (BBC News, 2017) Well, social stigma still exists for those using foodbank, even ex-Prime Minister, Theresa May struggle to answer about foodbank. (Independent, 2017) Since foodbank provides foods to vulnerable, we are not arguably will relate to poverty and poor law in workhouses and rationing during wartimes for civilians in the United Kingdom. How the foodbank from a ration stamp or ration card, a “physical” permit which is issued by the government, to “verbal” permit where you need a referral to a food bank. (Citizensadvice, 2020) To understand fully foodbank, I gather some historical reading on foodbank origin related matters and the formation of food bank today. I started my research on a lot of poor matters because mostly foodbank users are poor. It’s always related with people basic need. If someone lack of it, here we see the vulnerable who suffers colds, hungers, homeless or inability to work in a city. (Grófová and Srnec, 2012) As a famous saying in ancient Chinese, clothing, food, housing, and transport are translated as “衣食住行“ (Yi Shi Zhu Xing) as where it means the basic needs of life. We are what we eat. Food is one of the most singularly important factors in overall health. Without food, you can’t survived. It is important just like breathing. The food we eat literally becomes who we are, and influences our physical, mental and even emotional well-being.

Figure 1: Universal Credit is a United Kingdom social security payment.

There are now 4 million British workers living in poverty according to Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). (How poverty in modern Britain echoes the past, 2020) After the government launched Universal Credit, which combines six benefits with a single monthly charge, the rising of rough sleepers and foodbanks demands. (Figure 1) This is less of a 'turning point' than a “re-turning point” for suffering in the United Kingdom (UK) especially during these pandemic. Workhouses in past to the present, the causes of poverty and the extent still remain same.

British workhouse The origins of the workhouse can be traced to the Poor Law Act of 1388 after the Black Death in England, where the law attempted to address the labour shortages. They restricts the movement of labourers, and indirectly responsible for the support of the poor. Inmates were usually in a poor state of health because of the poor food they consumed. As a consequence of the lack of nutrients in their diet, they were vulnerable to sickness and disease. Many died in the workhouse with only very basic medical treatment.

Figure 2: History of the Poor Law.

Soon and later, a series of poor laws against to vagabond over the centuries after the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815. (Figure 2) However, mass unemployment in the early 1830s, the advent of new technologies to replace farm workers in particular. A string of bad harvests caused the existing poor relief scheme proved unsustainable. The New Poor Law of 1834 sought to counteract the economic trend by discouraging the granting of relief to those who refused to enter a workhouse. (Ottaway, 2020)

Life in a workhouse was meant to be tough, to deter the competent poor and to ensure that it would extend only to the truly destitute. For those poor living outside workhouse in England was unable receive such as the provision of free medical services and schooling for children until the early 20th century. This caused a problem to the Poor Law authorities that they have never reconciled with the superiority of criminals due to over population from the workhouse.

Figure 3: Dinnertime at St Pancras Workhouse, London, 1911

Six diets were distributed to workhouse inmates by the Poor Law Commission in 1836, one of them which was to be chosen depending on its local conditions by each Poor Law Union. The food was usually nutritionally sufficient, albeit dreary, and was prepared with great care, according to modern records. Issues like teaching staff to serve and weigh the portions have been well trained included the general instructions and plans for each class of prisoners in the diets. They were laid out from a list of foods on a weekly rotation, the different meals chosen on a regular basis. For example, there was cooked meat, pickled pork or vegetable bacon, potatoes, yeast dumplings, soup and suet, or rice pudding during dinner while gruel and bread for the breakfast. (Figure 3) (Workhouse Food, 2021) (KING, 2011) Normally, the supper was broth, cheese and bread, and occasionally potatoes or butter. The larger workhouses had separate dining areas for males and females; the meal times would be staggered by workhouses without separate dining rooms to prevent any interaction between the sexes. Instead of the competent poor, workhouses were increasingly sheltering for the aged, infirm and disabled. As the 19th century went on, and legislation was passed in 1929 to allow local authorities, as municipal hospitals, to take over workhouse nursing homes. Although the same legislation formally abolished workhouses in 1930, many continued to be under the control of local authorities under their new name of Public Assistance Institutions. It was not until the National Assistance Act of 1948 that the final vestiges of the Poor Law vanished, along the workhouses. (Workhouse Food, 2021)

Rationing in United Kingdom

Figure 4: Pathé News filmed Women's Land Army Camp Going To Farms By Lorry

The rationing is introduced due to food shortage during World War 1 (WW1). (BBC, 2020) There are a couple of reasons for that. The main reason is the agricultural workers are forced to join the armed services. Hence it’s leading to labour shortage on the farm which affecting agricultural production, especially in the Humber region. (Humber First World War, 2020) Therefore, women play a significant role in rationing as they are replacing men in agricultural labour work. (Figure 4) (British Pathe, 2013) Under rationing propaganda in Figure 3, Ministry of Food Control (WW1) also funded National Kitchen restaurants to feed the people up to 2,000 people per day. Queen Mary opened the first National Kitchen in Westminster Bridge Road, London. The kitchen is mainly run by volunteers which similar to foodbank nowadays. According to Ian, there were 363 National Kitchens in the UK. (Ian F.W. Beckett, 2006)

Figure 5: Rationing posters propaganda by the Ministry of Food Control and the Ministry of Food

In rationing, most adults had buff-coloured ration books. (Figure 5) For pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under 5, they had a green one, and they had the first choice of fruit, a daily pint of milk and a double supply of eggs. Well, blue ration books are for children between 5 and 16 years of age. It was felt important that children had fruit, the full meat ration and half a pint of milk a day.

Figure 6: National Ration Book show inside pages and some pages are missing during WW1.

Under this scheme, there are three staples of the daily diet - bread, meat, and sugar. According to the Ministry of Food, the weekly allowance was for bread including cakes, puddings, etc. estimated 1.8kg. For meat, it only allowed 1.1kg and 0.34kg for sugar.

Figure 7: Sugar and Meat Ration Card in front and back during WW1. (Humber First World War, 2020)

Figure 8: This example was issued in July 1941 to a Louisa Pickering. (Pickering, 1941)

After WW1, Britain imported about 55 million tons of food a year from other countries. After German submarines destroyed the British food supply, rationing introduced again in World War 2 (WW2). Everyone was given a ration book (Figure 6-10), and they need to register and buy food from the chosen suppliers. According to Home Front Handbook, meat, jam, biscuits, fish tea, breakfast cereals, cheese, eggs, milk, tinned tomatoes, peas, dried fruit, rice, canned fruit, and cooking fat are rationed seasonally. Due to food became scarcer, people might stockpile the food under panic, just like Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic recently.

Figure 9: Child’s ration book during the WW2 in green colour.

Figure 10: Ration book belong to Barnes Family where Page 9 is missing.

London foodbank The world’s first food bank was in the United State in 1967. According to the timeline, the foodbank is established just right after WW2. Since then, a lot of food banks are set up in the whole world. According to Beyond the Food Bank 2019 report, 1.5 million adults in London have low or deficient food security. The data did not include 400,000 of London’s children under 16 are struggling to afford or access enough food. (Mayor of London, 2019)

Figure 11: A balance food diet inside food parcels that I received from FF organisation.

According to Sustain, the charity behind the London Food Link defined food poverty as the inability to obtain healthy, affordable food. This may be because people lack shops in their area or have trouble reaching them. London is full of a vast array of community food projects, businesses, markets and street food traders and yet cannot settle food security issue. (Beyond Food Bank, 2019) According to the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and the Living Wages Foundation, 722,000 London worker (around 20%) earn less than the London Living Wage. No wonder I saw a lot of workers brought over their working bag during lunch hour and enjoying the meal in foodbank. (CPAG and the Living Wages Foundation, 2017) Amount of 166,512 emergency food parcels were given to Londoners by Trussell Trust foodbanks in 2018-19. I trust this data as I received the parcel before from this foodbank. The nutritionist from the organisation phone calling me that the food I will eat and they order for me through Tesco. If the food that I picked is unhealthy, they will reject the order for me. (Figure 11)

Figure 12: Healthy Start Voucher

London households missed out on £4.5 million of Healthy Start vouchers (Figure 12). Sustain is calling on the government to promote the Healthy Start voucher in a joint open letter to the Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. (Sustain, 2019) (Browne, Dundas and Wight, 2016)

Figure 13: Daily rice meals with 3 pieces of chickens and a small salad are share to 12 children while I was volunteering in Cambodia 2019.

According to Children Society, 212,000 children projected to miss out free school meals in London. 25% of London’s children are at risk of going hungry during the school holidays. When thinking about school holidays, I will think children will enjoy fun activities and holiday before the busy school year kicks off. According to the FoodCycle, the reality is not going to be like that for a household with low income. I am not surprised by the answer if the location is in Cambodia, (Figure 13) but in London, a great city who can’t feed Londoners? it is tough for me to believe about it. What’s their definition of poverty?

Chapter 2 Food strategies in London Foodbanks are vital. Mostly of them are vulnerable attended the foodbanks. I came across to chitchat with them and we share our backgrounds. From there, I meet different backgrounds of people, such as some of them are staying in social housing and some are rough sleepers on the street. As for me, I have a Tier 4 international student visa residency permit that allows me to remain in the UK, but it come with no public funds, a similar situation with asylum seekers. This ensures that I would not be eligible to receive any of the subsidies, tax deductions or rental grants paid by the state. Public grants provide a variety of services to low-income individuals, as well as housing assistance. These are domestic rate relief, a child benefit, income-based jobseeker’s allowance, child tax credit, council tax reduction, universal credit, working tax credit, housing benefit, income support, council tax benefit, attendance allowance, carer’s allowance, severe disablement allowance, disability living allowance, social fund payment, personal independence payment, an allocation of local authority housing, state pension credit, and local authority homelessness assistance. Technically, I am disabled person due to my clinically vulnerable, I could apply disability living allowance in UK. (Frost, 1992)

Figure 14: Homeless on the street in London.

As for me, pandemic caused a little struggle in my living expenses as it’s not part of the financial planning before further study. Especially the pandemic, I believe the losing of part time jobs caused not only to some international students in UK a big risk in their financial but also others. It same goes to vulnerable people who don’t have public funds. These group of people don’t even have a chance to apply homelessness application if anything life circumstances happens after coming to UK. Only eligible vulnerable able to stay in longer term housing offered by council, such as council or housing association home or private rented home. According to Shelters organisation, Anyone can ask for assistance from the homeless, but not everyone is eligible for emergency housing. If they think you have these following eligibilities, such as you have no safe place to stay, you have kids, are pregnant, or have another priority need, the council must provide emergency housing because you meet the conditions of immigration and residence. As I witness how many rough sleepers on the street in London every time I passed through them, I worried myself one day I will ended up like them. (Figure 14) I wonder what was the Mayor of London strategies on these group of people?

Mayor’s priorities and proposals

Figure 15: There are 57 Foodbanks are under the Trussell Trust organisation in London. (Trussell Trust, 2020)

Based on my calculation in London, excluding the greater London area, there are a total of 57 foodbanks in London. (Figure 15) It considers a healthy number as the average of each borough of London is about 1.78 with a minimum of 1 foodbank in each London borough. According to Beyond the Foodbank report, there are a lot of food poverty action plan being line up. I was interested in highlighting out the success Borough of London under the Action Plan and see whether there is any opportunity using the community to petition and apply foodbank as a program in the borough.

Figure 16 : Strategic food poverty action plan in each borough. (Beyond Food Bank, 2019)

Mayor of London suggests that each council should download Sustain’s Guide and review examples of other areas’ plans. Besides, the council should hold an initial workshop or summit bringing together a wide range of organisations addressing food poverty. Moreover, the Mayor of London advice each council try to carry out a needs analysis and map current activities across the borough. (Figure 16) If possible, publish a plan agreed with a wide range of stakeholders committed to taking action and monitor and report on progress over time. (Reynolds, 2009)

Increase the uptake of Healthy Start Vouchers

Figure 17: Promoting Healthy Start vouchers council program. (Beyond Food Bank, 2019)

A highlighted action undertaken by Enfield is training staff as Health Visitors, Early Years professionals and put them to serve with faith and community groups to help promote the uptake of Healthy Start vouchers and vitamins. (Figure 17) Lambeth is working with local market traders to sign up/register as retailers to accept vouchers and voucher program for most deprived wards. While Lewisham has given free food vouchers and vitamin D coupons to new births, Newham is deliver training called ‘Vitamin D - A Healthy Start’ and other micronutrients training at nursery and children’s centre services. (Beyond Food Bank, 2019) Based on my understanding, Healthy Start vouchers play a vital role in how to influence the social community in different places. From the success action mentioned, those venues are the key location to promote Healthy Start vouchers. Indirectly, more food-related program will take into design consideration to the faith groups, community groups, local market, hospital, nursery and children centre. (Lucas, Jessiman and Cameron, 2015)

Support, protect and promote breastfeeding to boost the health of infants and mothers

Figure 18: Breastfeeding in public in the capital in terms of cracking the tabou that accompanies it. (Daily Mail, 2018)

Bexley promotes breastfeeding in all Children’s Centres. There are six ‘breastfeeding key workers’ in the 0 – 19 Children’s Public Health Service as well as an Infant Feeding Lead. Havering has Infant Feeding Cafés in the room next door to Health Visiting clinics. Lambeth is implementing a tenyear programme about breastfeeding for children under four years of age in the most deprived wards in the borough. Merton Health Visiting is developing a pathway to support mothers in maternity services, health visiting and the specialist breastfeeding service. Barnet Breastfeeding Support Services promote and support breastfeeding through social media. (Beyond Food Bank, 2019) In my perception, the breastfeeding program that took happen in Children’s Centres, Infant Feeding Cafes, Health Visiting clinics, and social media platform are golden opportunity to gather community and share food. A more educational program can be added to break the taboo of breastfeeding in the public. (Figure 18)

Provide high-quality, affordable childcare and maximise the value of children’s centres

Figure 19: Taking actions to address food poverty via children’s centres and childcare provision. (Evening Standard, 2020)

Barnet provides a nutritionist and qualified chef to deliver sessions within the Children’s Centres. Camden provides food bank vouchers for children’s centres. Croydon tried to collaboration to Mayor of London’s Healthy Early Years programme. Havering children’s centres are all registered distribution sites for the Trussell Trust Food Bank vouchers. (Beyond Food Bank, 2019) From a user experience perspective, I am glad that children’s centres are well supported in London as they partner to the food bank. I need to credit to the borough of Barnet where they provide nutritionist and chef for the kids. (Figure 19) As I am a food bank user, I got my chef and nutritionist also. It’s quite rare to have this service as they do care about the health of the user. This leading the community a sense of home feeling. Indirectly, sense of belonging took place in the child centre. More and more food-related program will be added on.

Improve the implementation and uptake of free school meals and support breakfast clubs.

Figure 20: Promoting the government program about free school meals and breakfast clubs . (The Sun, 2020)

Redbridge has 51 schools that operate a breakfast club with a meal under hosted by Shine breakfast club, Young Aspirations and Barracudas. Hackney Marsh Adventure Playground are currently involved in the Mayor’s Fund for London Kitchen Social project. The council partner with charity FoodCycle to provide a free community meal every week at the new Kingshold Community Centre. (Beyond Food Bank, 2019)

Figure 21: FoodCycle Charity

Figure 20 and Figure 21 shows FoodCycle serve food in the school. In my FF, they are a partner to FoodCycle also. Once or two I will join their free meal program on Sunday. The good news is you can bring unlimited guests and there is no referral system needed under this charity.

Secure children’s access to food during the holidays

Figure 22: Staff at the Kitchen cafe in Bermondsey, London, are providing free school meals for children over the half-term holidays. (Beyond Food Bank, 2020)

Greenwich provides 23 lunch sessions per week at 13 children centre in the borough. Lambeth runs Holiday Hunger projects and partners with One O’clock Clubs, adventure playgrounds, local projects supporting vulnerable families on a low income, youth and community trusts, after-school clubs, community centres and libraries. Southwark partners with Mercato Metropolitano to run the holiday club with activities ranged from martial arts to yoga, circus skills to planting workshops for children and their parents. (Beyond Food Bank, 2019)

Ensure all residents have physical access to good food

Figure 23: Community led fruit and vegetable in Chalton Street Market. (Beyond Food Bank, 2019)

Bexley has community fridges in Belvedere Community Centre and Bostall Library, which provides with surplus food from supermarkets. Croydon has local retailers’ participation in Healthy Start. Camden has community-led fruit and vegetable stall located on a Camden market. Haringey has partnered with Sustain to take action on sugar reduction and healthier food. (Beyond Food Bank, 2019) Community-led program done by the Borough of Camden by setting up a stall in a market is an excellent action plan. A success action plan is led by the community, not by the government. When the user has a sense of belonging, the more community-led program will take place. (Figure 23)

Chapter 3 Case Studies

Figure 24: 1,200 Trussell Trust food banks.

According to The London Economic, there are now more food banks in the UK than there are fast food restaurant branches like McDonald's. (The London Economic, 2019) Official estimates indicate that there are currently more than 2,000 food banks in the UK and a majority of 1,200 food banks run by the Trussell Trust. (Figure 24) Today, 57 food banks are partnering with the Trussell Trust and providing emergency food and assistance to people in poverty across London. In 2018-19, In the Trussell Trust network, 1.6 million food bank packages were delivered to people in need by food banks. About half a million children received these packets. According to Trussell Trust report, most of the people having to use a food bank were 'money that does not meet critical expenses,' 'benefit shifts' and 'benefit delays' A variety of charitable coalitions, including End Hunger UK, Stop the #DebtThreats, Lift the Ban and All Kids Count, are funded by the Trussell Foundation. Their own hashtag, #5WeeksTooLong, highlighted out the existing issue of five-week processing period for the first universal credit payout as individuals apply for the offer. The campaign is funded by a variety of groups, including the Disability Insurance Consortium, Homeless Link, The Children’s Society, the Gingerbread, Child Poverty Action Group, Crisis, and Church Action on Poverty. I chose the foodbanks in Camden and Islington as a case studies. (Figure 25) As I can see Trussell Trust is located at London Borough of Islington where individual foodbank I chose is located at London Borough of Camden. Both foodbanks are located near each other but why they are still run foodbanks? A careful research background on both foodbank is taken. (Thorogood, 2017)

Figure 25: 1 Trussell Trust 2 Calthorpe Community Garden 3 Salvation Army Homeless Service 4 St Mungo's

Salvation Army and St Mungos The Salvation Army is located near the FF/FC foodbank. They are given advice to collect free food in the foodbank every time they stay in the salvation army homeless accommodation. There are several type of homeless accommodation provided by Salvation Army such as lifehouses, housing first, drop ins, floating support and night shelter. Some services they provided needed to be eligibility check, and some not. St Mungos, who located at near station also provided same services to the homeless person. (Figure 25) Foodbank and homeless charity are inter-related and they are located not far each other. (Ford and Wilcox, 1994)

Figure 26: Salvation Army Lifehouse

The Salvation Army runs over 80 subsidized housing facilities throughout the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. (Figure 26) We name these facilities 'Lifehouses' and they're more than just a place to stay. They are places where they can find help for other facets of their life, such as work, debt issues, schooling, faith, loneliness, addiction or mental health. This are individuals, young people, families with children, vulnerable mothers, ex-service members, people with physical and mental health conditions, people with substance and alcohol problems, people who are sleeping hard, people without jobs or without public funding. people who are active in the criminal justice system, (Greve, 1986) Housing First is a long-term homelessness solution. It delivers sustainable, affordable accommodation as soon as possible and also provides resources to connect residents to the supports they need to resolve any other problems. Housing First is a specialist facility that is by referral only. Currently there are substantial Housing First services in Scotland and Wales. The idea behind it is that people ought to protect their 'house first' – rather than fix other problems first. When they have a stable foundation, they may resolve challenges such as alcohol or mental health concerns. (Burrows, Pleace and Quilgars, n.d.)

Figure 27: Rooms layout SA..

In Salvation Army Hostel, there are different room layouts serve different needs of homelessness. (Figure 27) They provides accommodation for drop-ins vulnerable. Different drop-ins can include a variety of programs, ranging from realistic – baths, hot meals, warm clothing – to drop-in surgeries run by professional organizations such as outreach teams, drug and alcohol staff. Workers are required to assist with basic accommodation and health enquiries to offer assistance with phone calls. Most drop-in facilities have access to laptops so that individuals can set up universal credit claims or look for work. Some drop-in programs will direct clients to specialized legal counsel. Floating social and outreach programs are 'visiting support' services for individuals in the neighborhood. Support is not connected to a single building or form of accommodation and is not usually given by a landlord. Floating social programs are designed for those who seek support to live in their own community-based homes. Often floating assistance is given to individuals who have already lived in supportive housing, such as the Lifehouse (or Hostel) and who are going to transition to their own home or home in the city.

Figure 28: The entrance of Salvation Army Hostel

There are basement room in Salvation Army. (Figure 28) They offer night shelters for the vulnerable. Night shelters are a form of transitional accommodation for people facing homelessness who may normally sleep rough. Night shelters fulfill the basic needs of residents, promising a heated bed and a safe place to sleep. Some of them deliver a shower and a hot lunch. I was lucky that I got the opportunity to serve homeless person and eating meals together in foodbank. (Figure 29). After the meal, they are sleeping in the church.

Figure 29: I was given an opportunity serve vulnerable with meals in SA in 2019.

Instead of volunteering, I got the chance to stay there on my first day in London due to my homelessness. I lost the contact with university on campus due to the flight delays and long immigrant checking process. When I really reached the arrival hall at airport in London, they are gone. I asked for help and they put me in the emergency shelter in SA before sending me back to university.

F Foodbank and Food Cycle Foodbank The chosen site is located in London Borough of Camden. According to site plan in Figure 23, the location area are famous with territory of gang in London. A lot of crime is highly active in the area. There are, according to one, more gangs in Islington than suggested, but those in Camden are no longer in play. (London map 'shows territories of dozens of gangs', 2020) But still, there are a group of securities and policemen are armed whole day in front of the King Cross Stations exit. Besides, I realised there are a lot of rough sleepers on street along the Euston Road. St Mungo’s, where located near Euston Road but inside the gang territory, provides accommodation for homelessness in the area. They know at St. Mungo that it takes more than a roof over someone's head to bring an end to homelessness. While the most obvious type of homelessness is sleeping rough, the reasons and effects of not having a safe place to live are also much more complex. That's why they've built a recovery-based approach to the needy, focused on resolving the challenges a person faces to help them move on with their life. (How we work - St Mungo's, 2020)

Figure 28 FF, FC, and CCG community run the project together.

I still remember the journey to attend my first time to foodbank is excruciating. Due to confidentiality, I named my foodbank as F Foodbank (FF). FF is a closed group foodbank. The chosen site contain another closed foodbank under FoodCycle (FC) organisation at the same place as well as foodbank under Calthorpe Community Garden (CGC). (Figure 28) Since 2009, FC has been serving surplus food every Sunday to create nutritious meals in a welcoming environment for people living with clinically vulnerable patients and their families. Every time I attend their meal sharing, I felt I am being respected and welcomed by them.

Figure 29: The foodbank entrance is protected as there are little small sticker stamped on the glass door.

From the direction from King Cross Station, I am walking on the primary road, Gray Inn Road. At first the entrance of FF is mysterious. (Figure 29) The GPS told me the foodbank is that area. After calling for direction, the volunteer come out the tinted glass door and meet me. It just in front of me. Such a entry I believed many street walker will not notice about it. I also understand the design entrance of the foodbank in such way is a kind of respect to foodbank user. Some more the foodbank I visit is a closed individual foodbank. FF works to ensure that people living in London who are clinically vulnerable have access to the nutrition they need to get well, stay well and enjoy a safe, independent life. They provide food and groceries to people living with and relying on chronically disabled individuals in London and provide cooking and nutrition courses and community-based eating options. But this services only last for three months. I just realised it was not easy for individual foodbank who not under Trussell Trust Foodbank organisation. They need to find the funding from different corporates. Due to the patients mostly are clinical vulnerable, they received funding mostly from NHS or pharmaceutical companies. That why I have the opportunity to be referred to foodbank by the doctors and health advocates.

Figure 30: FF Chef and volunteers prepare food in the Kitchen.

I still remember the moment I was referred to FF by my doctor after arriving in London. Initially, I turned off the offer as I am not ready to have a meal together with strangers. Due to health concerns and I unable to afford the required specific meals, I accept the offer. It was a devasting moment to ended up to that decision. But it was an exciting moment to join foodbank for the first time. I was greeted warmly by the volunteers. (Figure 30) Looking left and right, I found out I am the only Asian and I am the youngest person who join the community of foodbank. For the first two gatherings, I was alone as I am not ready to speak to strangers. Until recently, I can open up my conversation with strangers. In FF, I witnessed a different kind of health condition foodbank users. The user among this FF community was variety, usually comprised of all ages above 18 to 70. During the fellowship, they are always surprised by my current background, especially pursuing an architecture. Initially, I thought they are asylum seekers until I met another architect. I was surprised that even architects are using the food bank as well and needless to say those expertise, specialists and engineers, etc. The more understanding the background of the foodbank, I realised every person has its own stories regardless of their social status and ethnicity. The more often I attend their meal sharing, the more I understand how a foodbank run and how the users play roles in the community and how community-led project influenced the city.

Figure 31: I attend FF during Christmas 2019.

Before pandemic, I was lucky to attend their Christmas celebration. Individual foodbank organisation has smaller funding compare to giant foodbank organisation like Trussell Trust. (Figure 31) For you information, FF only served clinically vulnerable patient for three months. After three months, I have to self-support the food. There are signposting about food advocates that help me go through the struggles after service ended.

Figure 32: Food received from Trussell Trust Foodbank during Christmas 2020.

FF volunteer basically guided me to Trussell Trust foodbank in the end. But I need apply through the councils. Since I am not eligible for public fund, the council of Newham basically assigned me to Trussell Trust Foodbank nearby me. Its took me about a month to be called by council to receive food from St. Luke Church. (Figure 32)

Calthorpe Community Garden Foodbank

Figure 33: 2 Calthorpe Community Garden 3 Salvation Army Homeless Service

The London Borough of Camden funds Calthorpe Community Garden (CGC) in 1984. A FF user told me that CGC is located in a hidden green oasis belt in King’s Cross. (Figure 33) He invited me over the foodbank and health nutrition talks run by CGC. I was surprised that FF is a part of the collaboration project under CGC although they has its own foodbank.

Figure 34: The main entrance of Calthorpe Community Garden.

It was another exciting moment to explore the community garden for a nature-lover, especially I came from a rainforest background in Borneo (Figure 34). Although it is just a community’s social garden, I witnessed the kids are playing the soils, and adults are farming, mostly seniors, it stills enough to trigger my memories when I lived with indigenous native once before.

By doing some research, I found that CGC was a property land purchased by the Lyon Group. They had planning permission to build a 70,000 square foot commercial building. Camden acquired the land title and going to resell it after the group went into bankruptcy. The residents launched a campaign to petition and lobby lawmakers to save the site and finally became a garden. (Calthorpe Community Garden, 2020)

Figure 35: Foodbank in CGC

According to CCG organisation, residents are trying to request Camden Commission to reserve some funds to transform the space into the Calthorpe Project. A project where the community can work and play. The Calthorpe aims to improve the physical and mental health of the community through a series of programs such as horticulture, sustainable food-growing groups, children’s activities, sports activities and community classes and activities include FF. (Figure 35) The entrance of foodbank must go through the red triangle main gate instead of blue triangle composting gate. It will passed through a lot of trees and playhouse with different topography. The site is very unique as I can see the façade of rear building adjacent. The duct pipes still can be seen available. On the street along primary road, I cant see any internal foodbank how its looked like. (Figure 36)

Figure 36: The foodbank entrance near the composting entrance.

A Living Lab, I learned about urban food gardening practices, including closed-loop food recycling. The organic vegetables are produced from the gardens serve the Calthorpe Café. The waste from the café is recycled again. A series of food composting method such as aerobic digestion and anaerobic digestion are displayed in CGC. These techniques include hydroponic, aeroponic, in-vessel composting, biogas composting through food waste facilities, housed windrow composting, open-air composting, etc. (Figure 36) The digested waste creates renewable biogas and liquid fertiliser. The biogas is for cooking and heating indoor plants, and liquid fertiliser is for enhancing plant growth. From there, I learned the importance of raised bed for farming. It reduces the need for bending especially for those who have a mobility issue. This induced me to think creatively to design a mobile raised bed in farming.

Figure 37: Painting and making pumpkin model for Halloween Project

I also realised there is such a profession call Master composter who are volunteers promotes composting in your home. They are gathering at CGC weekly, and there is a community volunteer on a rota basic for taking care of the garden every day. Usually, they bring their kids for funs in their regular gatherings. (Figure 37) It improves their well-being and well-being, especially older people, by giving them a chance to grow food and share meals together. Little Green Fingers is a program for the early years. CGC enables children to dig in their garden, growing fruit and vegetables to eat. During winter, they play inside polytunnel where they feed the birds, cook healthy meals and do art and crafts in the playroom. CGC site is with different topography enable kids to play hide and seek and yet still safe.

Figure 38: School are partners to CGC and bring the kids to visit bee farm.

Recently, CGC raises funding for the new project, so-called a community beekeeping project. They have a group of volunteers who are willing to teach how to be an urban beekeeper. Also, they show how important bees are, how a colony works, and how we can ensure bees prosper and thrive. (Figure 38) By setting up a beehive in CGC, the fruits and vegetables are pollinated and they able to taste the honey as well. FF is only one of the community program under CGC, and there are more. There are a series of the unique and yet related program inspired me architecturally, especially in term urban planning. It guides me on how to perceive a social user percept their community garden lookslike. It is inspired me to research considerations in my architecture project.

Conclusion From an understanding background of the foodbank in London, I perceived a bigger picture of how foodbank related to a city planning. Tracing back to the history before and after world war, it shaped the foodbank nowadays. I learned that existing locals public funds for the different types of vulnerable. This allows able to more understand their needs in each generation and ethnicity. It leads to a better serving when running in a foodbank. Individual foodbank runs a limited serving to the vulnerable while large corporate foodbank runs longer and nearer to the vulnerable. From this essay, I researched more from the strategies done by the Mayor of London on tackling food poverty in London. A series of proposals set an good example for architect student during designing a “community-led” program. It gives me a guideline in my social research into my current foodbank proposal in North Macedonia and in London. I need to partner the current neighbourhood communities struggles and needs to make sure my proposal is leading by communities voices instead program. From the case studies, the community-led foodbank leads to the community garden where the community garden has its own foodbank as well. I saw the power of networking among communities. It let me see the future vulnerable no matter where they are, as long as they are support by any community, they have a network of community to help the vulnerable based on their needs. I learned how to partner the current foodbank communities with another non-food related communities. To achieving this “community-led” required a lot of collaboration and research from experts. Only then, a successful action plan only can happen. “Community-led” action plan are still lacking in each borough in London. There is a need to explore the need of the community voices and understanding the current community’s food system in order to tackle food security in London. A careful mapping out the existing food advocates available in the neighbourhood and non-available in the neighbourhood are vital to partner among each other especially during this pandemic moment. Together with government and non-government organisation, we are prepared to tackling food security in future. To sum up, partnership with local organisations or food advocates able to enhance food access and improve the food environment when tackling food security of London.

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Thesis: Foodbank and London

Articles inside

British workhouse

Mayor’s priorities and proposals

Chapter 1 Origin of foodbank

Abstract