04.06.20 Newsletter no.10
Lissenden’s ‘Clap for Carers’ ended on a high - How might we build on our excellent community spirit?
Our Clap for Carers in Lissenden Gardens ended on Thursday 28th May with emotional speeches on behalf of front-line staff, a prize-giving ceremony attended by the Mystery Bears, and a musical procession around the streets
The event was preceded by BBC Breakfast coverage of Lissenden on Thursday morning and followed by ITV London news at 6pm on Friday. Thanks to Andrea and Alfie, who did interviews on the BBC Breakfast show, and to Jenny and Janey who were interviewed but weren’t included in the broadcast.
Thanks also to Sue, who spoke well on behalf of front-line worker Silvia on the ITV broadcast, and to live-in carer Rachael, who made a great speech but wasn’t included on ITV News (see below). Special thanks to Gee, Sam and Sean, who sang and played on the ITV broadcast, and to the other musicians – Abbey, Eloise, John from Glenhurst, Kate, Muryn, Rachel and Rowena who were in the background – we saw you on the TV! Also to the Mystery Bears – we really don’t know who you are but the stories about you on the lissendengardens.co.uk website are great. Thanks also to the many residents who spoke to the ITV reporter or, like Fleur and Elodie, who danced and clapped on screen. You were awesome.
Our only frustration with the BBC and ITV was when they asked us to explain why we were ending the Clap for Carers. Alfie said to the BBC that clapping wasn’t enough of a reward on its own as NHS staff and front-line workers were ‘overworked and underpaid’. Frank said to both broadcasters that the Clap for Carers had shown the country’s respect for front-line workers and if politicians wanted to show their respect they should give NHS staff and carers a proper pay rise. These responses were edited out.
Heartfelt thanks for Lissenden Gardens and our stairway reps
The speech by Rachael, from Uganda, was not broadcast by ITV, so we’ve included her words here:
‘I am Rachael, and I am a live-in carer in Lissenden Gardens. Thank you so much for the weekly clap. It makes us feel appreciated and respected and valued. Thank you so much for the people who take time to clean the bannisters and the letterboxes. You make our job easy, so we do not infect or do anything that affects the lives of the people that we take care of. Thank you so much on behalf of all the carers, and all of the people who are doing their best in this country. We are grateful. Thank you Lissenden Gardens.’
What next?
Music on the stairways and in back gardens is still available – just ask – but should we organise something new to build on what was achieved by the Clap for Carers? We’ll be putting this question to the stairway reps’ WhatsApp group, but one idea for the future – after lockdown – is for a Play Street.
We’ve been clapping on the balconies. What about playing in the streets?
Lots of people have been suggesting things we might do as a community now that the Clap for Carers has formally ended. One suggestion is to get involved in an initiative that Camden Council is promoting called Play Streets. If you haven’t heard of it before, a Play Street is where a road is closed off to traffic for a few hours by the community. The great thing about it is that the streets don’t have to be cleared of cars, and when they are closed any cars that have to be used are simply ‘walked’ slowly out of the area.
A Play Street allows children to have a safe space to play freely and a chance for the rest of us to come together and meet again – but in the street rather than on our balconies.
Play Streets are organised, managed and run by local residents. There are currently 12 Play Streets in places near to Lissenden Gardens. You’ll find lots more about Play Streets on the Camden website; the address is www.camden.gov.uk/play-streets.
Like to help?
If you’d like to be part of a small socially-distanced group looking at how a Play Street can be set up for Lissenden Gardens and Glenhurst, contact me on: frank.d.chalmers@gmail.com. I’m not offering to chair or run the group, but I’ll help you set it up and get it going.
Our caretakers: Local heroes keeping the estate clean during the coronavirus crisis
In July, Roger Starbuck, left, who is 58, will have been working as a caretaker in Lissenden for three years. It’s a good place to work, he says, but you use a lot of energy walking up and down so many stairs every day. ‘I’ve gone down two belt sizes since I started working here,’ he explains – from 34” to 32”.’
Roger tries to fully-clean four stairways a day, he says, but some days ‘bad floors’ mean that he has to get on his hands and knees and use a cloth, because using a mop isn’t good enough to clear the dirt. Tenants are often unaware of the difficulties they create, he says. ‘People leave rubbish outside their flat doors, sometimes for days. If the bags leak onto the floor or stairs it’s a hell of a job to clean it off. We can’t use strong bleach to clean inside the stairways.’
Roger’s top tips: ‘Ask us and we’ll take it away for you! If anyone has an item they want to get rid of, don’t leave it in the street or outside the bin area. We won’t know if people want to get rid of it or if they’ve just left it downstairs temporarily.’
Roger feels that the disinfecting of bannisters, letter boxes and street door-handles by stairway reps is a good thing. ‘Every little bit helps. But, most importantly, it’s how the community feels,’ he says. ‘People feel reassured.’ Roger describes himself as ‘the quiet one’, but admits he’s happy to have a chat.
Tom Keegan, right (aged 29, and no relation to the famous footballer), started working in Lissenden when the Coronavirus lockdown was announced, although he has been a caretaker for Camden Council for 8 years.
Tom was on holiday in Thailand for nearly two weeks when he saw on the BBC what was going on in England with the coronavirus,and his flight home got him back just in time for the lockdown. He arrived in Camden town at about 10am to find the place deserted. Then it was straight back to work.
Tom began his employment with Camden Council when he managed to get a place on a one-year apprentice course for caretakers. The course covered everything from health and safety to training in how to work with chemicals. ‘There are certain chemicals we don’t use,’ he explains, ‘and there are chemicals that you just don’t mix – for safety reasons.’
Not all of Camden’s estates are as friendly as Lissenden, Tom adds. ‘Some of the estates can be rough, and they need CCTV cameras to deter crime and anti-social behaviour. Lissenden Gardens doesn’t have many anti-social tenants. Most people are friendly.’
Like his colleague Roger, Tom works permanently on the Lissenden estate, with Tom focusing mostly on Parliament Hill Mansions. ‘I sweep and wash every staircase – usually once a week – and do what we call “spot cleaning” if we have a shorter working week,’ he explains. He thinks the disinfecting of bannisters, door handles and letterboxes by stairway reps is definitely a good thing. ‘It helps to make the place safer for people who might be worried about going out even once a day,’ he says. Tom usually listens to Kiss FM while he is working, but wouldn’t mind if people stopped him to say hello.
The last of the newsletters for now – or until we have urgent news
This may be the last of the newsletters until we see how the relaxation of the coronavirus lockdown works out.
Please follow the new government regulations (a summary can be found on the Covid-19 pages, and for the most up-to-date advice please visit www.gov.uk).
Thanks, as always, to Nikki Kyriacou for the newsletter.
Frank Chalmers (07757706419); frank.d.chalmers@gmail.com
NOTE FROM THE WEBSITE - HUGE THANKS to Frank Chalmers for instigating and organising the newsletter and all things related to it. There are many thanks to be said for key workers, residents and neighbours, but special gratitude to Frank for his endless cheeriness, optimism, care and hope. We are very glad to be neighbours.