The We are Cally Community Plan
There’s a lot going on in the Cally, including through the council’s We are Cally project. The council has been listening to the ideas local people have to make the area an even better place. Their ambitions have been captured in a set of agreed actions to be taken by local organisations, residents and the council in the We are Cally Community Plan.
We spoke to local resident Attracta Roden about her involvement in the Copenhagen Street Food Bank and the Cally Plan.
Hi Attracta, can you tell us a little about yourself?
I’ve lived in the area for over 37 years and in the same house all that time. I came here in 1982. I’ve seen lots of changes in the Cally. There are lots of cafes, we could do with a pop up clothes shop. The Cally has lots of potential and I love living here, I couldn’t live anywhere else. We have wonderful neighbours.
What do you do?
I’m the lead volunteer at the Copenhagen Street Food Bank and coordinator for the teams of volunteers that support our food bank. We take in all the deliveries and arrange the shopping to compliment City Harvest and The Felix Project, who deliver food to us from their network of contributors. The council has been great, we used to have food deliveries – trays of non-perishable goods every week. We’re so grateful for the support of local shops on the Cally, specifically Sun Flour Bakery, Iceland, both Co-ops and Daniel at Tesco Express.
We started off with 30 people needing help and now support approximately 120 families every week. We pack 160 non-perishable bags and 160 perishable bags on a weekly basis. We have over 39 volunteers from all backgrounds. They’re so committed! I would like to thank all of the volunteers who contribute to the smooth running of the Foodbank on Wednesday and Thursdays.
How are you playing a role in the Cally Plan?
We’ve played a role in workshops and discussions with the We Are Cally Plan.
We have strong links with the Mutual Aid Group, in particular Megan who places our weekly Morrisons and fruit and vegetable shop. The Mutual Aid Group volunteers also form part of our volunteer rota and we are really grateful for their contributions.
Lots of families and children come along and we make a special effort with them. For example, we gave gifts for children for Christmas, Easter and Eid. Some families shared their Eid celebratory foods with us, which was amazing.
Copenhagen Street Foodbank is a worthwhile cause and we are making such a difference to people’s lives in the community. We have fun too! We are always in need of non-perishable food donations e.g. coffee, tea and sanitary items. People can come along to Blessed Sacrament Church hall on Copenhagen Street, Wednesdays from 10am until Midday and Thursdays 9am to 3.30pm to drop off any donations.
