Norwich foodbank Update: 231

I have had a little bit more ‘working from home’ time recently and I’m struck by how quiet it is  especially when compared to the office with anything from 2-5 people, all clicking away on keyboards, chat (or ‘strategic communicating’ of course), phone calls and the noise from the corridors and outside. And that’s nothing compared to the warehouse and the distribution centres! I read this quote recently and realised I rarely (if ever) sit in silence: ‘If you were to sit in silence for an hour, where would your mind go? Would you spend it with your eyes open or closed? Would you look at your surroundings or look within? Sitting in silence – especially with others – is not something many of us do but there are many benefits, as MensCraft member Russell recently discovered. Find out what he thought of the silence we recently held at Wymondham Abbey.’ I was particularly struck as I’m visiting Wymondham abbey during September so I wonder if I should lengthen my visit to include a period of silence…

Carrier Bags

I reported a few weeks ago that, following our social media plea for bags, someone turned up the same day with loads; since then we have had contact with a local charity shop who regularly have more than enough and so we (and by that I mean Peter and Jennie!) have have already done 3 trips and have been promised ongoing donations of bags of life which is great news!

BookBank

You may receive BookBank’s newsletter directly, but for those who don’t I was struck by a quote: ‘1 in 10 UK children do not own a single book.’ I don’t know where the number came from (i.e. the research) but as a reader myself and having grown up in a household filled with books, I wonder whether this figure was different when I was a child…? I guess now also people read online or on tablets so perhaps owning a physical book may not necessarily mean folks don’t read. However we know from conversations with people at Chantry (where Rachel and others have provided free books) and at Bowthorpe where BookBank is hosted, that a book really can feel like a luxury item – what a great partnership to offer physical sustenance through food, emotional support including advice and company AND perhaps a mental break from life’s challenges, just for a time, through the gift of a book. Also included in the latest newsletter was a lovely quote (see attached) from a recent visitor to the Norwich stall.

Lived Experience Panel

I shared some time ago that we are working with Your Own Place to create a panel of people with lived experience of using Norwich foodbank and significant progress has been made since I last updated you. The main news is that Jon and Jess held the first group meeting and we had 7 attendees which is brilliant! The morning proved to be a great success with the group extremely engaged and we explored views on how Norwich Foodbank is seen as integral to the community. In the discussion around why people need access to emergency food, several things came up including soaring food prices and shrinkflation, lack of early and joined up support and low incomes. The good things already in place included good intensive support services, budgeting and debt courses and lots of different food options (including pantries, social supermarkets etc.). Lastly, when asked ‘what needs to change’ the responses included more one-to-one support and longer term through a whole process, better joined up services, including more life skills education in schools, more early support for adults without children, clearer and up to date directories of support available and more ‘services under one roof’. This last one keeps coming up at various meetings and in converstains (and not just locally!) with a one-stop-shop being both effective at helping people in need with the right support, but also helping agencies and professionals stay updated on what services are available. Jon and Jess are leading a second group in September with the aim to then begin to shape a ‘project for change’ and potentially campaign on one or more specific issues. If you have a passion for campaigning and / or would like to be part of the panel, please contact Jon: [email protected]

Sainsburys Longwater

With thanks to Chris for getting us to the right person, we have provisional dates to have in-person collections at Sainsburys Longwater in October! We are trialling a slightly longer day, to see if after-work-shoppers might be a good audience to engage. If you are able to help on any of the days – Thursday 9th, Friday 10th or Saturday 11th October- please sign up here  We’ll be in touch to confirm the shifts asap.

Centre Praise

As I always say, I’m sharing this regarding one particular centre, but I know this could have happened at any of our 11 sites and so whether it was directly you or not, please be encouraged by the sentiment! At Oak Grove a couple of weeks ago, it wasn’t terribly busy in terms of vouchers fulfilled but it was full of challenges and great examples of teamwork, as reported by our British Red Cross worker Chris:

‘Firstly, the kitchen staff were absolutely run off their feet! Everybody seemed to want the wonderful toasties and drinks, and they kept everyone fed and watered without losing one iota of their normal care, friendliness, and consideration for needs.

Secondly, we had a series of challenging people and scenarios, not least being a person who was initially very rude to the volunteers. They had never been to a foodbank before, and when approached, told them to ‘eff’ off… The team asked if I was able to help in terms of understanding what was needed and how best to do the ‘foodbank bit’. I was able to engage with them, but whenever anyone else approached they became very agitated again and this is where the AMAZING teamwork came into play.

Even though I was not able to directly engage with any team member, a series of notes and glances between us all allowed us to get them exactly what was needed, and in a way that kept them as calm as their condition would allow, without disturbing or worrying the other people present. They felt listened to and cared about, and I was able to steer them to appropriate support.  

Without this level of unspoken communication between the various team members (and I do include myself as a team member, rather than just the Red Cross guy ), this could have resulted in quite a disturbance, or this person having to leave without the food and support they needed. As all this was happening, a backlog built up – including some with very complex issues, which meant that the entire team finished late – but every client left getting all the food, care, and support that they needed too. 

A mentally tough night for all of us, but the teamwork and dedication were exemplary last night and I just wanted you to know that. A pleasure and honour to be a part of! Please pass on my thanks and admiration to the team.’ [I did]

Thank you ALL for how you interact with our visitors – (clients / referrers / guests etc) – and cope marvellously under varying circumstances.

Hope you have a good day and weekend when it arrives

Hannah