Sheila
30/06/20
“The thing that I find most inspiring about this is the incredible wellspring of initiative, agency, creativity, cooperation, empathy and love that comes out and everybody comes together.
Organising community support through Mutual Aid groups on WhatsApp meant that you had absolutely no idea about people’s class, colour, age or background. It was completely self-organizing and democratic in a way that revealed true human potential.
I've not been doing nearly as much as a lot of other people but I have been helping out as much as I can with shopping for the elderly, baking for the NHS and volunteering at Queen’s Crescent Community Association (@qcca_camden). I’m also quite heavily involved in Transition Kentish Town and the Kentish Town Road Association.
I really believe that there is so much potential in people; if only we could give people a little bit of money so that they have the time to do what they want for their communities, we would see extraordinary changes.
Lockdown has had its downsides too of course, I've been gutted that I haven't been able to a lot of the things I love. Usually I would be swimming in the Hampstead ponds, going on walks in company, playing the violin in the orchestra and generally collaborating with people, but all that has come to a standstill and I feel starved of company.”