Help the Hungry: ‘Elderly at-risk people are slipping through the net’

Youth club director Nicolette Nixon shares how the Felix Project is helping out in London

Nicolette Nixon, founder of Hackney Youth Club shares her story for our Help the Hungry appeal Credit: GAMSYC (GAMSYC)

An elderly man who was brought to tears when Hackney Youth Club showed up on his doorstep with a food delivery now dresses up in a suit in anticipation of their weekly arrivals.

The director of Gascoyne and Morningside Youth Club (GAMSYC), Nicolette Nixon, said the elderly man is just one example of how important the food deliveries from The Felix Project are to vulnerable people in Hackney.

Nicolette set up the youth club 20 years ago because she saw that there was little else for young people to do on the Gascoyne and Morningside estates.

The club is all about “local people supporting local people” and last summer they had a record 236 kids turn up for the sessions over six weeks.

Nicolette shares how The Independent’s Help the Hungry appeal partner, The Felix Project, has helped the youth club volunteers deliver food to those who need it most during the coronavirus lockdown.

How and why did you get involved with The Felix Project?

“I run a youth club in Hackney in what is quite a poor ward in a poor borough. We have around 50-60 children at each session in Gascoyne and Morningside.

“We have a big focus on physical activities and healthy eating. We also have our own business, a youth social enterprise where the kids make their own organic bath products and sell them at Hackney market.

“The Felix Project offered us support totally out of the blue last year. They had surplus food because they weren’t delivering to schools during the holiday.”

How have you seen demand change over the past six weeks?

“We had done some consultation on the estate and people said they wanted more community activities.

“Two weeks before the lockdown, The Felix Project phoned me and said we could have a weekly delivery – which has been an absolute godsend.

“It means that we’re now giving food to residents to keep them going.

The Hackney Youth Club volunteers are delivering to around 50 households on the estates (GAMSYC)

“We work with the Tenants’ Association and so we just put a notice asking if anyone needed help. We now deliver to about 20 households in Morningside and that includes elderly people and families – quite at-risk people.

“On the Gascoyne estate we deliver to about 25 households.

“What I’ve seen is that there are loads of elderly people who are slipping through the net.

“Everyone is claiming there isn’t enough technology, but elderly people in Hackney have to fill in forms online for the government to get food parcels, and if they haven’t got access to computers then they can’t do this.”

Is there a single incident or moment or person who has helped who you think embodies what you have been trying to achieve?

“We’re dealing with an elderly guy who has had two heart attacks and strokes, and he wasn’t getting any help.

“Luckily, he saw our notice and asked us if we could buy some food for him. It happened to be on the day that we were getting our food delivery in and we’ve been going to him ever since.

“I don’t know what would have happened to him because he said he’d phoned three or four different places and each one had said they couldn’t help.

“The man was near tears when we made the first delivery. We were the first people to say to him that we could provide food.

“It’s quite funny because I’ve noticed he’s started to put a suit on and he gets dressed up for the deliveries. He’s brilliant.

“He also referred a friend who has got terminal cancer and now we’re helping him too. Those are just two examples of vulnerable people who have slipped through the net.

“I don’t know what they would have done without these food supplies.”

You’re obviously doing a fantastic job but how much more is needed to help those in need?

“I think people are proud and I think there needs to be more flexibility with information sharing.

“To say we can’t give you information on people because they need to apply online – when people don’t have access to online services – it’s absolutely ridiculous.

“I think many of the vulnerable people are suffering from loneliness too – that’s a big problem. I know when we go round to some households it’s hard to get away because they love to chat, which of course isn’t a problem for us.

“We’ve got some young people who we’ve brought in as volunteers and they’re helping with the deliveries. It’s quite humbling for them to see how grateful people are for just a little bit of food.”

What would you say to anyone who is thinking of donating to the Help the Hungry appeal?

“I would just say do it. After this is over they’re going to be needing more than they are now because people are going to lose their jobs.

“People are scared to leave their homes and I think there are a lot of at-risk people who slip through the net.

“So I think people should give as much as they can. We would have people going hungry if it wasn’t for The Felix Project.”

The Independent is encouraging readers to help groups that are trying to feed the hungry during the crisis – find out how you can help here. Follow this link to donate to our campaign in London, in partnership with the Evening Standard.