Good Neighbours

Wandsworth Charities

Streatham Common Community Garden

 

Everywhere we run our cafés, we’re constantly bowled over by the incredible and continuing efforts of so many, to help build happy and healthy communities.

 

Sometimes these are high profile projects such as new buildings and infrastructure, but more often they are the unsung heroes; the volunteer litter pickers, the bird watchers, the carers and everyday people from every walk of life, going about acts of kindness in everyday life out and about.

We’re grateful to all of them, and try to support and help wherever we can.

Some of the organisations we have supported over the last 24 months.

Some examples of the little things we do to help:

 

  • Free meeting space in the cafés during the day and out of hours.

  • Use of the cafés for fund raising events and AGMs.

  • Supporting with storage and logistics.

  • Selling products on behalf of the Friends groups to raise funds e.g. the famous Swan & Duck Food at The Skylark Café and Pitzhanger Honey in Walpole Park, Ealing.

  • Community noticeboards in every café.

  • Discounts to volunteers and the people who dedicate themselves to life in the parks and on the Commons.

  • Prizes and gifts for local fundraisers and competitions.

  • Lots of marketing – posters in the café, social media, supporting with tips and tricks.

  • Since 2014, raising funds and donating to our local food banks.

  • During the first wave of Covid-19 pandemic, we supported Critical NHS with the supply of 1,000 meals for the staff of St George’s Hospital.

  • We then started supplying Cakes for Care Homes, delivering 2,000 pieces of cake to our elderly customers who weren’t able to visit their café – so we went to them. We still do this at special times of the year.

 

Generally, we try to be kind, helpful and like so many, just try to be a good neighbour.

There’s a lot more we’d like to do, and we’re making progress all the time.