Community Work
London Community Kitchen
The Sixth form pupils volunteer weekly at the Community Kitchen helping to move stock, arrange food banks and distribute to the local community who attend.
Aims:
The Kitchen hopes to raise awareness, in the local community, of how to fully utilise ingredients to there full potential.
Surplus foods from companies and shops in London are sent to LCK for distribution.
The aim is that our pupils will gain an awareness of the need within our community and contribute to helping hand out supplies.
Background:
London’s Community Kitchen have pioneered the way in their ‘Ethos of Zero Waste & Zero Hunger’. They believe it to be an absolute human right to have access to free or affordable food. Their efforts feed the most vulnerable communities across London, while at the same time avoid vast food waste which contributes to climate destruction.
We established a link through the food distribution and cooking school in 2021.
Resources:
Seven Sixth form pupils volunteer weekly at centre for the volunteering period of 19 sessions.
A group of year 7 pupils volunteered as part of the Jubilee celebration 'Big Help Out'.
Impact:
This work has shown an increase in the sense of community with our food bank collections increasing from one annually to two.
Awareness of living in crisis for many in the community.
Pupil Involvement:
The sixth form boys are aged between 16-18 years old.
Frequency:
Ongoing event as part of our Blackwell Enterprise Volunteering Programme.
My Yard Project
My Yard works with the residents of Grange Farm Estate to run a range of initiatives that include a food distribution project.
Aims:
Grange Farm is a community that has considerable needs. They are housed on a temporary basis in housing that is earmarked for demolition and redevelopment. The residents benefit from support in a number of areas, not least of these is food distribution. John Lyon students are working with My Yard to support them in these initiatives.
Background:
John Lyon School were introduced to My Yard by Young Harrow Foundation earlier in 2019 and a relationship between the organisations has developed. From September 2019 a team of John Lyon students has been volunteering at the Grange Farm Community Centre to support the work of My Yard.
Resources:
A team of three students is volunteering each Friday afternoon at the Community Centre. Much of the work is sorting and distributing the donations of food and other goods donated by local businesses.
Impact:
The outcomes of their contribution will be difficult to quantify as their role will be embedded with the work of My Yard.
Pupil Involvement:
The volunteers are members of the Sixth Form who have chosen to work with My Yard as part of their Co-Curricular Programme.
Frequency:
This is a weekly commitment that, it is hoped, will continue at Grange Farm as long as there is a need.