During these difficult and unknown times we all find ourselves in I have been somewhat frustrated.  Due to my own long-term health conditions I was placed in the Government’s ‘shielded’ group, so I’ve been isolating and have not been out since the middle of March. The frustration was partly that I couldn’t register in the call out for NHS volunteers. However, I was able to help one person - an ex-neighbour and friend who is in her 80’s and sadly has serious chronic conditions.

I registered her with the Government’s & Islington Council’s schemes for vulnerable shielded people. Eventually, she started receiving a weekly parcel of dry and tinned food. However, it took a couple of weeks, and prior to that Islington Council put me in touch with a community group who could help.

At the community group, I spoke with a friendly sounding young lady, and explained my friend was very low on food. She managed to get, and safely deliver, all the food items we had agreed upon, with just one substitution.

A few weeks later, I asked her to get another few items - my friend needed some fresh veg and a couple of treats as was feeling very down. She again managed to get it all. When she rung me to say job done, she told me she had then gone to a nearby shop a second time as she thought that magazines would cheer up my friend. Could I call my friend and ask her to come down to her front door again as she had left a couple of them in ‘our delivery place’?

I am very grateful to this wonderful volunteer who was prepared to go to numerous places for the right things. She was already a star in my eyes, but to think of something extra, and then go and get magazines after delivering the food was an amazing act of kindness, which I will not forget. They certainly gave my friend a boost.

There really are some wonderful people in our community - one of the reasons I love Islington!
Take care and hope to see you all soon.

Wendy – HNG Marketing volunteer

Sometimes in life we get so caught up in our own thoughts that we forget that others may not see the same things we do or have the same beliefs and morals. This lockdown has shown me that we all deal with things differently, at different times and even if the world is going through something as a whole, we all react differently.

Because of this, instead of just assuming what someone may need or want it’s important to simply ask. When I get into conversations with people this week as part of our In-Touch service I will, of course, ask how they are and how they are coping. However, I will also ask what it is they think they need, or would like, to make things a bit brighter and to help them feel happier and more comfortable.

This is something I feel we all could do, it costs nothing. It will also give you an insight to someone else’s outlook on life and allow you to reflect on your own.

Stay safe, stay at home and be happy.​

Sahir – Older Men’s Project Worker

This week is also Creativity and Wellbeing Week and I am always inspired by the kindness and understanding shown by our wonderful Art for Wellbeing tutors James and Oriana, who encourage kindness and understanding between students and also remind students to remember to be kind to themselves. The result is that these classes have become safe places for anyone however experienced or inexperienced to safely explore their creativity in a supportive and positive environment.

One of the ways to be kind to yourself whilst being creative is to notice the positives of your act of creativity. So - maybe your self-portrait’s a bit of a monster at the moment but hey – you had fun making it and the eyes look really good!

My pledge this week is to make sure I print and post a copy of an old family photo that I know one of my elderly relatives would very much like to have.

Antoinette

Today, Monday 18th May, marks the start of Mental Health Awareness Week. The theme this year is Kindness. I’d like to take this chance to share an act of kindness I’ve experienced at HNG and make a pledge to do something kind for someone this week. To steal a line from someone else ‘every little helps’.

It was early in my time at HNG and it was a very hot day during July. The sun was beating though all the glass windows of the Old Fire Station’s reception, which I had been left to cover (we were short staffed at the time as one member of staff had ‘selfishly…’ broken their ankle). It was a very busy day with lots of people coming in and out of the Centre – and it also was the day when new phone lines, phones & broadband were being installed in the building. 

At one specific moment an exercise class was about to start, so lots of people were asking me questions at the same time. The telephone engineer was waiting to talk to me – and the phone was ringing – also a volunteer was trying to ask me some questions. I slightly snapped at the volunteer and said something like, “I can’t deal with your question right now I’m having a very stressful time and it’s also my birthday”. The afternoon rolled on and it was much quieter. At some point the volunteer came back in clutching a brown coloured paper bag and handed it to me. The smell was divine – they had bought me a McDonalds. A cheese burger, fries and hot apple pie.  It was an act of kindness that I’ll never forget and will always be grateful for. 

For my pledge of kindness this week I am going to share a sewing project with a friend of mine I’ve not spoken to in ages. I know they like sewing and it will give me an excuse to check in with them and see that they’re safe and to (hopefully) get some advice for my project. 

Some simple pledges can be found here if you feel like joining in. 

Until next time. 
Daniel