In November this year I was approached by The Bow Foodbank Charity asking me to give a concert for them to help to raise funds for their charity.
I know that all of us have had a very challenging past two years, but what I have learned about The Bow Foodbank's work and their collected data made me realise how fortunate I was, and also how relatively easy it was to help to so many who were in a greater need than myself.
Without food we cannot function.If we eat bad quality food we get sick and again, we cannot function. Food is one of the most important aspects of human live. So, of course, I said yes!
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A little info about the Foodbank
The Bow Foodbank is an independent food bank charity (possibly the largest in the UK) that has been serving the local community since 2014. They run at two locations Bromley-by-Bow Community Centre & Raine’s Foundation School each week, offering pre-bagged items + fresh fruit and veg once a week, with some extra food for families with children.
The Bow Food Bank is supported by a large group of extremely dedicated and passionate volunteers (network of over 300), their newly appointed Executive Director & the Trustees who are all drawn from the local community, meet regularly and take an active role in the running of the food bank. Their endurance during the Covid-19 crisis has been commendable, they saw a huge influx of people who had never used a food bank before, particularly those forced into redundancy or struggling to get by on furlough pay or zero-hour contracts. The number of people attending the food bank increased drastically by 540% from only last year. Their borough is already the most impoverished borough in London, with a poverty rate of 39% and the highest child poverty rate in the UK - however, the Bow Food Bank continued to provide a safe and accessible space for those suffering from food poverty in Tower Hamlets feeding as many as 1,300 households per week.
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It was a pleasure giving a concert for The Bow Foodbank and it was wonderful to meet so many enthusiastic supporters. The venue (The Bow Church) was beautifully lit, warm, so welcoming, and the whole event was superbly organised! Performing there was a total pleasure, as you probably can see from some of the photos we took on the day.
I also wanted to thank all the volunteers who helped me personally on the day with the rehearsal, selling my merchandise and, of course, for the beautiful flowers! Without you this would not have been such a lovely experience neither for the audience nor for me. THANK YOU!
If you would like to help to those in need, you can donate to the charity via this link
Thank you very much! Together we can make the world a better place.
With love,
GéNIA