01.04.20 Newsletter no.1
Lissenden Gardens is rising to the challenge
Wasn’t it inspirational to see hundreds of people out on their balconies in Lissenden Gardens applauding our NHS last Thursday evening? I’m sure we all felt proud to take part in such an event.
If you were out on your balcony, you might have noticed a smiling man walking round the street filming with his IPhone. It was Dan Carrier, from the Camden New Journal. And why was he filming on our estate when he could have chosen any place in Camden? It’s surely because he knew everyone in Lissenden Gardens would demonstrate a great community spirit. And he was right. We are battling against the spread of the virus.
How are we organised?
Every stairway, except one, in the whole of our estate now has stairway reps and contacts – a total of 44 people. Each of them is in touch by WhatsApp helping us do our best to look after our neighbours. If you don’t know your stairway rep, click here for contact details.
In addition there are many other volunteers who have offered to do shopping, collect medicines or simply have a chat when it’s required. Our hope is that no one will feel lonely, isolated or hungry if they are ill or have to self-isolate.
What are we doing?
There isn’t enough space to list every example of Lissenden’s community spirit, so this report will cover one stairway in each of the main blocks. Other stairways next time.
Nos 66-75b Lissenden is a very active and ‘strong’ staircase. Every flat has been contacted and all, except one, are in regular touch through WhatsApp, phone and balcony chats. ‘We are all in contact regarding shopping, and swapping and sharing stuff when needed,’ their stairway rep Tamsin said. All common parts are being sanitised and one person has a steamer, and is “blasting through” once in a while.’
Nos 42 – 51 Clevedon has a buddying up system, stairway rep Michael Thorp explained. Younger neighbours are taking responsibility for keeping an eye on individual neighbours who are self-isolating or have underlying health problems. One older resident with underlying health conditions has neighbours checking (from a distance) that he is taking his regular medication. Food shopping is being done for him and he is being provided with occasional hot meals. ‘I feel like the Pharaoh,’ he said. ‘I’ve never felt better.’ The stairway is also sanitising door handles, bannisters and the entryphone panel twice a day.
Nos 71 – 80 Parly has a well organised group of residents, with 10 out of the 12 flats in touch through exchanged phone numbers. Reps and volunteers are also in contact through a WhatsApp group. A ‘buddying up’ system ensures that shopping is being done for anyone who requires it – three people so far. Disinfecting of outside door handles, intercom panel, bannisters and letterboxes is being carried out on a rota basis three times a day by five people. One of the stairway reps, Hayley, in addition has organised online exercises to help you if you are stuck indoors. A seven-minute movement lesson for children is on Hayley’s YouTube channel at 9am, and at 11am there’s a ‘Coffee break with Hayley’, a five minute movement break to support adult mental health when we’re in ‘lockdown’. (See: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjrr0XeXxY6pitcb4BPgw0Q )
Other stairways are doing similar things and will be mentioned in future newsletters.
Follow Government guidelines on avoiding coronavirus
Stay at home. Only go out:
· for essential shopping/healthcare
· to care for someone vulnerable
· to work when it can’t be done from home
· once a day for exercise, alone or with someone from your household only.
Also:
· Stay two metres away from other people if you have to go out.
· Wash your hands for 20 seconds regularly during the day
· Try not to touch your face.
Applause for the NHS - next Thursday at 8pm:
Please also go out onto your balcony or into the street (two metres apart) on Thursday evening at 8pm to show your support for the NHS and front-line caring staff. We’ll also be singing as a Community.
To contact your staircase representative please click here for more info.