Two months after setting up a Covid-19 food parcels project in partnership with Highgate Newtown, Holly Lodge Community Centre has become home to a home-delivery project.
The lunchtime meals service is relocated from Brookfield Primary School on June 1, as the school reopened to Nursery, Reception, Years 1 and 6 pupils.
The community centre has also launched a fundraising effort to help recover money lost due to lost income from hall hire.
Up to 40 hot meals a day will be prepared by Lulu Taddei, the community centre’s cook, and delivered by volunteers across the Holly Lodge Estate and Highgate. This complements the 75 food parcels which have already been delivered by local volunteers to residents in the streets and mansion blocks which make up the Estate.
Meals cost £2.50 each, and are ordered online or by phone on weekdays before 10am.
Mike Towers, Community Centre Manager, said: “It was heart-rending having to close down our much-loved lunch and film clubs and the other activities which helped bring local communities to life. Thanks to over 80 volunteers on Holly Lodge Estate, we can play our part in making lives easier for those who most need it now.”
Holly Lodge Community Centre has a 24/7 donation point outside its entrance on Makepeace Avenue, Highgate for anyone with less perishable items, such as tinned foods, pasta and sauces, rice, and toiletries.
Since the coronavirus outbreak began estate volunteers - or “block reps” - have helped individual residents by collecting prescriptions, visiting the supermarkets to shop for food, or just by being available to have a chat.
Although the community centre is closed to all other activities, its fundraising efforts have moved online in an effort to cover the thousands of pounds in hall hire income lost due to lockdown. A Virgin Moneygiving donation page can be found at bit.ly/hollylodge-corona
Online efforts to stay in touch with centre visitors have extended to the launch of a new website at www.hollylodgecc.co.uk
Holly Lodge Community Centre has also launched social media pages and can be found on Facebook and on Twitter @HollyLodgeCC
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