Legacy
Legacy
Please note: this post is 102 months old and The Cares Family is no longer operational. This post is shared for information only
Charlotte and Patrick have been a staple at South London Cares’ Social Clubs for a year, and are about to leave our SLC family to go travelling in South East Asia before moving to Australia for a year or two. Before they head off, they wanted to share their experience with us and tell us why they'll miss being part of our Social Clubs. In her blog, Charlotte shares her highlights over her time with the SLC family.
I'd been finding it difficult to find volunteering opportunities in London which I could fit into my busy schedule, as most require you to commit to specific days during the week or at the weekend. I’m northern, so I love a good chat over a cuppa (milk in last!) and I'm incredibly interested in other people. So when I heard that the main premise was to socialise and chat with your older neighbours I couldn't sign up quick enough!
South London Cares has been the icing on the cake of my 5 years living in London. Hearing stories from my neighbours who have seen the city change over the past 50+ years has brought me closer to London and its history. I've met people who were born on the Old Kent Road 80 years ago and still live in the area, along with people who travelled here from the Caribbean in the 60s, to those who left London to live in Africa and came back. The array of experiences you come across in just one room. And whilst I’m interested in their experiences, they are just as interested in my life and what brought me to London, how much rent is and what I do for a living.
My favourite clubs are film club on a Sunday, where you eat cake, drink tea and watch a film you might not usually watch. Quiz Club, where we all get very competitive, and Pub Club where we share stories and laughs over a little drink. Patrick and I have been saving to go on our travels, so another added bonus of SLC for the volunteers is that it's a completely free way to experience London - I've learnt how to make felt, visited a brewery & painted glass lanterns.
My older neighbours inspire me. One of our older neighbours went on a glider plane for her 90th birthday, another neighbour completed his marathon (a 5k walk) to raise funds for SLC and recently I helped a neighbour add MBE to her email signature at a tech workshop.
An older neighbour once said to me "I questioned why you young people wanted to waste your time with us old folks...until I realised you weren't wasting your time, you were enjoying yourselves just as much as we were". I've been touched by the kind words and friendships I've struck up with my neighbours. They've been very encouraging and supportive of our adventure and I will miss them all terribly when we leave - but we hope to chat on Skype during a tech workshop to stay in touch.
I hope that more Londoners older and young will become part of this life affirming experience, where generations who live in the same huge city get together and share quality time. When we return we hope to get straight back in with all the Social Clubs action!
