Legacy
Legacy
Please note: this post is 131 months old and The Cares Family is no longer operational. This post is shared for information only
As South London Cares begins its work in earnest this summer, our new Programme Coordinator Tess Young writes about why she wanted to join us and be part of the community...
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It’s such a privilege to be helping to build South London Cares to grow up alongside it’s sister, North London Cares. I heard about North London Cares last year and I’m so excited that the reason I felt held back from getting involved no longer exists -we’re south of the river now!
I'm lucky to have heard lots about London in another time from my four lovely grandparents and my great-aunts and great-uncles. My granny was a midwife in St Thomas’s Hospital in the 1940s, and while her vivid stories of life during that time are like a bridge to a different London, they also give me a deeper connection to the south London that I have known and loved since making it home seven years ago.
I see South London Cares as a bridge between younger people who love south London for all it has to offer - from the buzzing South Bank to spacious Dulwich - and older people who may not know where’s good to eat on a Friday night in Brixton now, but could tell you about the layered history of Elephant and Castle, Clapham or Peckham…
It’s exciting to begin connecting people who will get to know one another, share and learn from each other and build their own bridges. It’s better for our city, and for ourselves, if we know who we share it with. Some older people we share it with are less visible than others, particularly people less able to get out and about to their favourite cafe or park bench or those who have the one-way sound of their TV rather than conversation and company. In the next few weeks and months there will be loads of opportunities to change the isolation faced by many in our communities, both on an individual basis and in groups.
My preparation for this role has been in the form of inter faith relations between different but proximate communities, and through studying human rights law and theory. I’ve relished the opportunity to work on initiatives based on people’s responsibilities, needs and rights. Whether in a cultural, social or legal context, I’ve wanted to focus on the necessity to recognise the many diverse voices and their needs in our society. I believe this is fundamental to South London Cares. I know I will continue to work with that in mind in this role along with a healthy balance of socialising, a love of baking and organising fun as a way to make new connections and beat off the blues.
I’ve enjoyed meeting older neighbours in Bermondsey, Borough, Brixton, Camberwell, Dulwich, Stockwell and Streatham over the past few weeks, and the network of young people who have signed up to volunteer is beginning to come to life. I can’t wait to develop new projects across Southwark and Lambeth and it won’t be long until there are events happening near you.