Transforming lives through Kindness, Belief and Hope
Bank Holiday Closures 2023
Please remember that our offices and services are shut on Monday 8 and 29 May. These include Southwark Foodbank, Women's Service, Together and Peckham Pantry which will also be closed on Saturday 6 May.
Welcome to our May Newsletter.
Friends and supporters of Pecan, we hope your Easter, Eid and Passover celebrations were filled with love, joy and rest.
As we welcome May and some spring sunshine, we have been reflecting on what has been quite a year so far. With so much going on around the world and much of it frightening and sad, it can be easy to focus on the negative and become a bit overwhelmed with it all. Pecan runs on Kindness, Belief and Hope and we strongly belief that these values can support us even at difficult times. Our main feature is exploring the current emergency food shortage, but also how we are tackling the issues behind the need for emergency food.
Our good news to share is that we have volunteer cyclists hitting the tarmac for Ride London to raise funds for Pecan’s services; fabulous corporate partners taking time out to run Techie Tea Parties and shaking buckets at London Bridge Station; to our very own Women’s Service Administrator, Alyssa, sharing her talent with our women by running an embroidery workshop.
We witness so much Kindness, Belief and Hope in our community and we want to thank you all for getting involved. You can find out more about what we have been up to, as well as opportunities to volunteer, take part and have your say below. So please read on and enjoy!
Head of Services
Fundraising Update
Ford Ride London – Holy Rollers aim for £2500
This year Holy Rollers, a cycling group at St Barnabas Dulwich, will take part in Ford-RideLondon-Essex for Pecan. Andrew and Rob from the team came in at the end of April to find out more about Pecan and to have a walk and talk around Southwark Foodbank’s warehouse, with Nick the warehouse co-ordinator.
Please support the Holy Rollers to raise their target of £2,500 for Pecan.
Donate here pecan.enthuse.com/cf/ride-london-challenge-for-pecan
The Big Give
The Big Give: Kind2Mind. We are delighted to be chosen to take part in the Big Give Kind2Mind Match Funding campaign. Between 15 and 22 May 2023, every donation received through the Big Give/Pecan donation platform, the Big Give will match it! So, if you donate £5, so do the Big Give, making your contribution worth £10. We are aiming to raise a total of £10,000 for Pecan’s services supporting good mental wellbeing. Watch this space for more information.
Main Feature | Pecan's Food Services
Southwark Foodbank and Peckham Pantry
This month our main feature is by Southwark Foodbank Manager, Genevieve Osei-Kuffuor and Community Engagement Officer Flora Schweighofer. Genevieve, Flora and the food services team wanted to highlight how they are tackling the current food shortages.
Emergency Food in Crisis
At Southwark Foodbank, we provide short-term, emergency support with food during a crisis. We aim to relieve that immediate pressure by providing food, but we also recognise that emergency food parcels are not designed to meet long-term need, and do not address underlying issues. We are working towards a just and compassionate future, where everyone in Southwark can afford the essentials. While we do this, we continue to support our community with emergency food in immediate crises.
‘… emergency food provision has not been immune to the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.’
The Cost-of-Living Crisis and Food Services
Emergency food has become a regular part of local communities. However, emergency food provision has not been immune to the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and is now facing its own crisis. Southwark Foodbank, like many other foodbanks, is currently experiencing shortages of food, which is unexpected. Donations have been less frequent and smaller, as we know that those who generously give to the foodbank have also been impacted by inflation, whilst the number of people needing to access our service is steadily increasing. This is a huge concern for us as we are providers for those who rely on our support.
Southwark Foodbank wants to be here to support households in our borough with much-needed emergency food. We’re making efforts to increase our food donations via social media and we’re taking advantage of a great initiative that the Trussell Trust has with Asda. During this year’s Volunteer Week, 1 – 7 June, Asda stores are giving Trussell Trust foodbanks the opportunity to collect food during a week-long food drive.
‘If there are any ways you can support us with food donations, volunteering at the Asda Food Drive in June or helping us collect financial donations at London Bridge station each month, please do get in touch.’
Similar food drives in the past have been a tremendous help in providing food parcels for hundreds of households in the borough. The success of these initiatives is largely dependent on having a team of volunteers in-store throughout the day. Anyone who’d like to volunteer with a team of colleagues, members of their family or church congregation should contact us by Wednesday 10 May. If there are any ways you can support us with food donations, volunteering at the Asda Food Drive in June or helping us collect financial donations at London Bridge station each month please do get in touch.
A Southwark where everyone can afford the essentials
Whilst we aim to meet the immediate need for food, we know that receiving a food parcel does not solve underlying issues. We’re glad that in our sessions we have support workers from Thames Reach and Citizens Advice who can support clients with housing, employment, immigration and benefits etc. We’re already seeing great outcomes – accessing benefits and financial support people are entitled to and preventing people from homelessness to name a few. We are now seeing that this additional support is giving people much needed hope for the future.
We have formed a community action group, with people who have used our foodbank and Peckham Pantry and are meeting monthly to build a local campaign for ‘A Southwark where everyone can afford the essentials’. To get involved with our community organising activities, please contact Flora, Community Engagement Officer.
One of the reasons people in our community and in many other parts of the country are having to turn to emergency food is Universal Credit not covering the cost of life’s essentials. This is why we support the Trussell Trust’s and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s campaign to ‘Guarantee Our Essentials’, calling for a stronger social security system. The UK government must make sure that the basic rate of Universal Credit is at least enough to afford the essentials we all need, such as food, household bills and travel costs. You can read more and support the campaign here. To take action now, and join us in calling for an Essentials Guarantee, please email your MP here.
Food Services | Highlights
London Bridge Collection
- April London Bridge Collection raised £1435.21.
- The next London Bridge Bucket Collection is on Wednesday 31 May, from 7-10am.
Peckham Pantry
Please check out Peckham Pantry’s April newsletter to find out what has been happening at the Pantry in the past month: April 2023 Newsletter
PECAN PROJECTS
Women's Service
Our Women’s Service holds drop-ins on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and a new creative session has begun with Alyssa, the Women’s Service Administrator.
Embroidery Workshop with Alyssa
Alyssa from Women’s Service said: ” I have really enjoyed teaching my workshop. In only two sessions, my students have picked up basic stitches very quickly and are starting to build their own embroidered picture. It is lovely to be able to pass my skills on to other people and provide an environment where service users can feel relaxed, take their mind off of things, and try something new. It makes me feel so happy and proud. The whole class is running for 6 weeks and will be extended if well-attended, so please come along to the Peckham Hub at 2.30-3.30pm on Thursdays. I’d love to see you there.”
Ride London Flags with Doreen
Women at our Tuesday drop-in have been making colourful flags to show support and make people aware that the Holy Rollers are taking part in Ford Ride London 2023 for Pecan.
Community
Together at Pecan
Together at Pecan | May events
- Creative Writing
Our creative writing workshop was a great success earlier this year, and so we are running another series of sessions this spring! Classes will involve exercises and discussion to strengthen skills and confidence in relation to writing. Classes will run for six weeks on Fridays from 12 May to 16 June, from 10.30 am – 12.30 pm. The sessions will be held at Pecan. For further information and to book your place, email: together@pecan.org.uk
- Discussion Groups
Together will continue to run its Discussion Group on Tuesday mornings in the Together Hub, from 10:30am – 12:30pm. The group has worked very well online but is now going to meet up ‘in person’. Refreshments will be available so do pop in. - Online discussions
These sessions will also continue every Thursday at 3:30pm. If you would like to join the online discussion group, please send an email to peter.aleksin@pecan.org.uk with the subject heading: Discussion Group. We will then send you a link to join the group. The discussions take place via Zoom and usually last for 40 minutes.
- Oyster Day Out | Friday 26 May | The Serpentine Galleries and The Diane Memorial Fountain. Everyone meets at Together at Pecan café, and then heads out together.
Employment Surgeries
To access our FREE Employment Service, please register with us by emailing: welcome@pecan.org.uk
Link: www.pecan.org.uk/employment-support
Vacancies
Community events and useful links
- Thursday Film Nights at Rocketvan | Free films shown every Thursday, first come first served, capacity is 30 seats. Location: Rocketvan Ltd, 92 Brandon Street SE17 1AL
Website: www.rocketvanstudio.co.uk/upcoming-events
Contact: office@rocketvan.co.uk | 02074013928
- Free Life Drawing Sessions | Tuesdays 2pm – 4pm, 18 April – 9 May
Four free life drawing sessions on the theme of performance, as part of the Art Academy’s Adult Outreach programme.
Location: Mermaid Court, 165 Borough Hill Street SE1 1HR | Website: artacademy.ac.uk | Book free tickets HERE | Conact: info@artacademy.org.uk
- Illuminate: Scenic and Technical Production Workshop | Sundays 11am – 4pm, 23 April – 21 May | Free workshop for ages 16-22 run in collaboration by Theatre Peckham and Mountview, to learn about and get experience in backstage activities such as scenic art, prop making, sound and lighting, and set painting.
Location: Mountview, 120 Peckham Hill Street SE15 5JT | Website and book free tickets HERE | Contact: enquiries@mountview.org.uk | 020 8881 2201 - Filmmaking and Magazine Workshop | Sundays 11am – 4pm, 23 April – 21 May | Free workshop for ages 14-18 run in collaboration by The Palace of the Dogs and Mountview, to learn how to harness your creativity in film and magazine form.
Location: Mountview, 120 Peckham Hill Street SE15 5JT
Website and book free tickets HERE. | Contact: enquiries@mountview.org.uk | 020 8881 2201 - Dementia Week | 15-21 May 2023 | Website: www.alzheimers.org.uk
- Talk: Dementia, Mummy and Me | 16 May 6:30pm-7:30pm | For Mental Health Awareness week, Rosalyn Reid will be giving an insightful talk about her own experience of supporting her parents with dementia. The talk will end with a Q&A. It is free and there is no need to book. Location: Nunhead Library , Gordon Road SE15 3RW | Website: www.southwark.gov.uk/libraries
Contact: nell.cooper@southwark.gov.uk - Dementia Friendly Event | Wednesday 17 May 2023 from 1.30pm to 3.30pm at Time & Talents 2, Surrey Quays Shopping Centre, Redriff Road SE16 7LL
