JUSTZINE

VOLUME 1 • ISSUE NO. 1

JUST ZINE COVERING SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES IN WEST LONDON

Editor in Chief

Cinzia D’Ambrosi

Digital Editor Laura James

Journalism

Gemma Mancinelli Fatima Sanchez Laura James Urmila Nagarkoti

Poetry

Idil Abdullahi

Photography

Gemma Mancinelli 1

A Letter from the Editor Participants of the Photojournalism Hub project ‘Youth Zine West’ produced this first issue and have baptised it Just Zine. Just is short for Justice and refers to what the magazine content will cover - local social justice stories and news.

I recently came across a plea from the Hammersmith and Fulham foodbank manager Daphine Aikens in a local online newspaper.

Daphine was asking for support towards a larger premises in order to cater for the extra capacity needed to feed families and individuals in the borough. After reading this, I thought that it was important to share the enormous strain that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on a service that was already stretched. I suggested that this first edition of Just Zine would focus on this topic, covering some of the extent of the foodbank crisis. I also wanted to provide a glimpse into the valuable work of those helping to feed the many in need.

A big kudos to all the participants that, despite lockdown and the various challenges around it, have gone to length to produce this great magazine. And a heartfelt thanks to the Mayor of London Culture Seeds for supporting this project.

Cinzia D’Ambrosi Editor-In-Chief

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CONTENTS PAGE 2 A Letter from the Editor

PAGE 4-21 Special Report: Covid -19 The Impact on Foodbanks in Hammersmith and Fulham

5-8 The Smile Brigade Photostory

9-10

Interview with Monique Newton, CEO of The Smile Brigade

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A Letter from a Foodbank User

12-16

Hammersmith and Fulham Foodbank Photostory

17-20

Interview with Daphine Aikens of Hammersmith and Fulham Foodbank

PAGE 21-22 Poetry

PAGE 23 A Student's Life During Covid-19

PAGE 24 About Urmila

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Covid -19 The Impact on Foodbanks in Hammersmith and Fulham The Smile Brigade Photostory Interview with Monique Newton, CEO of The Smile Brigade A Letter from a Foodbank User Hammersmith and Fulham Foodbank Photostory Interview with Daphine Akins of Hammersmith and Fulham Foodbank

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The Smile Brigade Photostory

By Gemma Mancinelli

Ready bags. Photo: Gemma Mancinelli

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The Smile Brigade at the Clem Attlee Hall. Photo: Gemma Mancinelli

Two volunteers. Photo: Gemma Mancinelli 6

Chef preparing hot food. Photo: Gemma Mancinelli

Chef serving the food.Photo: Gemma Mancinelli

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Food ready to be delivered. Photos: Gemma Mancinelli

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Interview with Monique, CEO of The Smile Brigade

By Gemma Mancinelli

How has The Smile Brigade been impacted by the current pandemic?

We used to run a community kitchen in the hall. There were long tables where everyone used to grab food made by our chef and sit down. We used to have live music, food, clothes swaps and a community fridge; so people of all ages, all genders, all circumstances used to come and eat for free. It was the atmosphere you know, old people, homeless people, people with no income - everyone used to get together as a

community, enjoying the food, the music. Once [the pandemic] happened we had to transition everyone to deliveries, and on top of that because the council didn’t have food to give people, we had referrals from so many people. Referrals from social workers, worrying neighbours of people who live by themselves, etc. So we got 450 people on our list, some of them get deliveries four times a week, others two or three times a week - groceries and toiletries, they get it all for free.

Monique Newton. Photo: Gemma Mancinelli

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So the demand has increased?

Yes, a lot. We have quadrupled our days; we were open once a week and now we’re open four days a week. We used to come one day a week before but now all staff are doing seven days a week.

We've got 200 volunteers and they’re amazing, some of them volunteer four times a week. People want to help and now they have more time now they are not at work.

Is everyone a volunteer?

We’ve got the kitchen team, along with me and Josh [Executive Chef], who are staff, everyone else volunteers.

Is everyone following the social distancing guidlines?

Yes, it’s very difficult though. We still have some people that just turn up to the kitchen, so there’s nothing we can do about that. Some of them are homeless and we can’t deliver to them, so we would rather that they would come here.

Have you got a day job?

I do this full time now but I also work for the NHS and another local charity.

Wow, you’re busy! How long have you been running this for?

We started 9 years ago. We started doing haircuts for the homeless, we were giving out toiletries and doing cleaning, then we got the community kitchen a year ago. Then, since eight weeks ago we’ve been doing deliveries.

How many deliveries do you do a day?

About 150, then we have an organisation that comes and picks them

We need "volunteers and food donations!

"

up for us as well. This organisation doesn't have a kitchen, or they don’t have the staff so they come and get the food from us and give it to people who need it.

What do you get in a package?

You get a bag of groceries which contains bread, cheese, milk, a ready meal, fruit and vegetables. You also get a bag of hot food and a bag of toiletries.

This is all for free and is delivered up to four times a week. We also have bags for kids, nappies, toys etc.

Is everything donated?

I would say about 25% is donated. A lot of it we’re having to buy now because businesses don’t have spare fresh fruit and veg. We use monetary donations to buy new items.

What would be a typical day?

We pack the fruit and veg, organise all the grocery bags and toiletries, cook all the hot food, do the schedule - we have to match up the different food to the people who need it - do the grant applications and greet people.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Yes, we need volunteers and food donations!

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A Letter From a Foodbank User

By Fatima Sanchez

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Hammersmith and Fulham Foodbank Photostory

By Gemma Mancinelli

H&F Foodbank, momentarily based in Olympia London. Photo: Gemma Mancinelli

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Donated food organised in sections. Photo: Gemma Mancinelli

Daphine and Steve. Photo: Gemma Mancinelli

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Steve, Warehouse Coordinator. Photo: Gemma Mancinelli

James, responsible for the people and packing in the warehouse.

Photo: Gemma Mancinelli

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'Before lockdown, users could sit in the foodbank premises and enjoy a cup of tea.

Now we can only focus on distribution'. Photo: Gemma Mancinelli.

Volunteers in the Olympia foodbank site working long hours to bring much needed support. Photo: Gemma Mancinelli.

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H&F Shield (separate service) helping the most at risk during the pandemic (people the government has advised to self-isolate for 12 weeks). Photo: Gemma Mancinelli

“...And it's people that you wouldn’t anticipate, people who have suddenly lost their job, they don't have any savings, people you wouldn't expect, it could be me, you.�

Photo: Gemma Mancinelli

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Interview with Daphine Aikens of Hammersmith and Fulham Foodbank Words by Laura James, Photographs by Gemma Mancinelli

I spoke with Daphine Aikens, the founder and CEO of Hammersmith and Fulham foodbank, coincidentally on the 10 year anniversary of their first food collection. A lot of changes have occurred in that 10 year period, yet some of the biggest changes have been occurring in the last few months during the Covid-19 pandemic. Daphine gives us an insight into how the foodbank operations have changed and how this is impacting those who use their services.

coming to the foodbank. We gave people the time to relax, to feel safe, and help them feel like they were not alone, because they were not. We would try to understand the reasons why they needed the foodbank because, if we can, we want to help people out poverty. So in that conversation they may reveal something they may not tell other people. It’s a real privilege to have those conversations where you are talking more closely about the underlying reasons why they come in.

What did a typical day at the foodbank look like before the Covid19 pandemic?

We were open 6 days a week across 3 different locations. We were set up in a cafe style setting with a team of volunteers welcoming people in. We served tea, coffee and homemade snacks and at some of our centres depending on the facilities - we would serve a hot breakfast and lunch. Once people had settled in we would then offer them a choice in what they would like in their food package. Each package contains enough for 10 nutritionally balanced meals which amounts to about 3 days of food.

Whilst they were with us it was also an opportunity to sit and have a conversation. It was all about welcoming people to help reduce the stigma about

Daphine Aikens

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Can you give an example of a time someone has opened up to you about the reasons for needing to use the foodbank?

There was an older very vulnerable woman who was struggling with money but we couldn't figure out why. The person who had referred her [all people using the foodbank are referred from another organisation] also did not know. Then one day, after weeks of having cups of tea with her, she blurted out that her son was abusing her. Her own child was an addict and was stealing money from her. He was also physically violent with her. We were able to help as we called the police with her permission - and we alerted social services. A restraining order was passed and things started to look up for her.

People trust us, " it’s a very special environment

"

The common theme for most people coming to the foodbank is not having enough money to go to the shops.

Often that is around the benefits system - it's often simply not enough to cover normal life expenses. It's especially hard for the most vulnerable people and those with mental health and physical health problems. We try to be a listening ear, and by being this, we sometimes uncover other underlying needs which means we can offer people routes to other sources of support such as professional advice. People trust us, it’s a very special environment.

Yet, it is also really tragic and so unnecessary as no one should be so poor they need to use a foodbank.

Do you believe it is a failing of the government that foodbanks exist?

The reason we are here is need - the state is failing people and we pick up the slack. It is a policy issue as benefits have not been upgraded with inflation.

It's the benefits cap, it’s the expensive rent in London and the UK more widely. There is also not enough social housing, and some of that housing is of a poor standard. The benefits system isn't working. It doesn't pick people out of poverty and set them free, it traps people into poverty and makes it hard to escape.

Have you seen an increase in people needing to use the foodbank since the pandemic?

We’ve had a huge increase in need.

During the month of April alone we gave out as many food parcels as we usually would in 6 months. In this month, 5,700 people benefited from our food parcels where as before Corona we fed about 1,000 people a month. There have been over 2,000 referrals in one month where we would normally see 400-500. Thats a massive increase.

How have volunteer duties changed since the pandemic?

The volunteers who were working face to face in the foodbanks are now packing food parcels at Olympia on a large scale. We also have a team of volunteers phoning 100 people a day who have been referred to the foodbank. They usually call 24 hours

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after their food parcel has been delivered to understand the reasons why they have been referred and if we can sign post them to any other services. These calls have been really precious, especially for those people who are lonely.

We also work closely with citizens advice workers. They used to be physically in the foodbank and offer support to those coming in. Now they are working from home and we forward cases to them by email. This is very different as when someone came to the foodbank who was really struggling they were met with someone there and then with whom they could talk about their issues.

Through these conversations they could start to engage with their issues.

When you are under a lot of pressure it is a lot harder to call or email someone.

It’s a real difference. It’s the one to one contact that is the most missed part of what we do.

Foodbanks " shouldn't exist

"

Have you seen an increase in the number of people signing up to volunteer?

Yes, we have taken a lot more volunteers over the past few weeks for packing the bags at Olympia. People want to help, people want to know they are doing something good. It’s also a really good atmosphere among the volunteers packing along the line.

It’s a friendly, lovely place to be. But, at the same time it's all based on other people's pain and suffering and it's a tension I struggle with most days actually. We have fun together, yet we wouldn't be here if people weren't hungry. It’s wrong, foodbanks shouldn't exist.

How have donations been affected

by Covid-19?

The public have been so generous.

Before we moved to Olympia people were always dropping off donations at our office in Fulham, the door was going all the time. It was really heartwarming to see people give

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something, however small it was. PreCorona, 99% of food came from donations. However, we can't rely solely on donations at the moment and have had to buy 60 tonnes of food at great cost. Having said that, the public have been really amazing and donated 32 tonnes of food since the 1st of March.

This is a huge increase as normally we would receive 2-4 tonnes of donations a month. The public have really done a lot to help.

The public have " been really amazing

"

We have also received 6-7 tonnes of food from the volunteer group Door Steppers set up by a lady named Margaret. She has galvanised a group of people in the community and they leaflet in the streets and collect food from people in this way.

It’s amazing!

What do you expect the next few months to look like?

To be honest there won't be a great downturn in demand, it could get worse as people are losing jobs. I’m expecting to be really busy right through Christmas.

Economically it’s having a massive impact on the country and this is going to impact the most vulnerable people all over again. It’s going to cost so much money.

It’s already costing the government a lot of money, the council, businesses... and this is all going to impact us for years to come. We are just busy making sure each day happens now.

You can still make donations to the foodbank by dropping off non perishable food at Olympia, Hammersmith Rd, W14 8UX. If you are struggling to buy food and live in the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham - please talk to your GP, your children's school, Citizen's Advice etc or ring the Local Support Payments Team on 020 7745 6464 to discuss your situation.

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By Idil Abdullahi

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A Student's life during Covid-19

By Fatima Sanchez

Back to 'square one' is probably something Hara has identified with amidst this unexpected, scary and overwhelming lockdown. A lockdown which has implemented many restrictions on our daily lives at the hands of a worldwide pandemic. Hara, originally from Greece, moved to London in September 2019. She was only able to have a taste of London for just a few months before a national lockdown was announced. She then decided to return to Athens where her family resides. Though Hara's rather early start of the day at 8am, prompts her productivity, she ensures that she first carries out her knee rehabilitation exercises. She recently underwent knee

surgery following an accident during a football match. After her exercises, she studies. Hara is currently undertaking a Master of Arts degree in Education, Power and Social Change. She explains that most of her day is spent on university assignments. She also volunteers with an organisation that trains mentors to work with secondary school students to raise awareness of discrimination and social issues within educational settings.

Hara is already working hard for the community along with the teachers’ mentoring organisation – battling stigmas, discrimination and violence against the LGBT+ Community within schools. Despite her studies and training, she confesses that she is grateful for “the quieter time and meditation” during the day with her family. This is the only time she gets enough space to plan out and mind-map her next steps and goals for the near future. MA student Hara believes that sudden and unexpected changes before and during the aftermath of a worldwide health crisis have caused a great shock, worry and distress to a significant extent. Yet, her family – her mother and brother - have been a reliable pillar in these days of tribulation.

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About Urmila

By Urmila Nagarkoti

I am from Nepal. I would like to become a photographer and find a way to help homeless people. When I was younger, I wanted to become a social worker, a photographer, and a feature writer. I grew up in a small town where there is hardly anything. It's an extremely poor place. You can only dream for things there. A year ago, when I arrived in London, I did not know any English and I had no idea of English life and customs.

I was very confused. I asked myself: “I do not have my family here and I am alone.

What can I do?". Sometimes, I cannot control my tears because I am far away from my family and I miss them.

However, even if I am feeling very down, I never give up. Now with the COVID -19 outbreak it's even more difficult. It's not just me having difficulty but the entire world is too. Many people have died. I never could imagine we would be living with Covid-19 and to experience a time when so many people are dying from a disease. When the UK government started the lockdown, lots of people panicked and rushed to buy toilet paper, food, and hand soap. They took as much as they could from shops and it made me sad to think that there was not enough for some vulnerable people. The supermarkets were empty. This was a very strange thing to see in London.

Everyone panicked over toilet paper!

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I am thinking about my family and homeless people during this lockdown.

How are they going to look after themselves? How are they going to buy food to feed themselves? Who is going to help them? I have lots of questions in my mind. In Nepal, my family is extremely poor and do not have food and money. I worry for them. Even if I would try to send them some money, they would not be able to receive it as my village is far from a bank. The lockdown has made the situation a lot worse. A lot of people are finding it difficult to access to food and to earn any money to pay for food.

I do not know how long the lockdown is going to last. I am sitting in my room, I go running, study English and take photography classes. Hopefully, the entire world is going to go back to normal.

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