During this ongoing uncertainty, many groups and individuals are supporting those in need in our communities. And more help is always welcome.
We are lucky in Brighton and Hove to have a thriving charitable and third sector, jam-packed full of volunteering opportunities for us to all pitch in and do our bit to keep the city fed and help our vulnerable neighbours.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve joined others and helped pack shopping at a local food bank, joined Brighton Cooking Club and cooked extra portions of food for a family and done some weeding for a sheltered housing scheme as a member of GoodGym Brighton.
GoodGym Brighton is a great club to get involved in if you like the idea of volunteering and helping out in the community but doing something active, healthy and fun at the same time.
It involves making your way over to wherever the project is that day, be that by running, cycling or walking, and then doing some volunteering that involves manual labour.
That could be anything from cleaning the community kitchen to working on a communal garden or painting out graffiti.
It’s a great way to combine your exercise time with doing something rewarding, make new friends and help fellow residents.
If that doesn’t sound like your thing, the Brighton Cooking Club is something you can do from the comfort of your own kitchen.
It involves cooking an extra portion of whatever you’re having for dinner and dropping round a fresh, hot meal to a local resident or family in need.
I love cooking and the Cooking Club means you can try new ingredients, new recipes and do your bit to help keep the city fed, just by cooking a little extra.
Or can you “grow an extra row” on your allotment and help out the Real Junk Food Project?
They run cafes across Brighton using surplus food to create delicious, nutritious meals.
Vegetables, herbs or fruit … whatever you like growing will be gratefully received.
You will need to take the produce to one of their café locations – find your nearest one on the Real Junk Food Project website or call 01273 234810.
Councillor Nancy Platts is leader of the Labour opposition on Brighton and Hove City Council.
If the council were to cease squandering tax-payer money on utterly futile schemes; such as installing bike lanes that no one wants and which only serve to increase both congestion and pollution. They would then have the funds negating them from begging the local community to offer up their time for no remuneration.
By “no one wants”, I’m guessing you’re referring to yourself? The bike lane scheme may not have been perfectly implemented, but we’ll need to get out of our cars a whole lot more for EVERYONE’S sake in future. I do hope that’s not an inconvenience for you.
Apparently there are over 160,000 Charities in the UK with a turnover of £48b that is what I would call big business.Fat Cats at the top raking off a vast pecentage and relying on volunteers to do the work.