In Brighton and Hove (UK) NGOs, established community organisations and local residents have quickly responded to those most in need. Meanwhile a new dynamism within civic society has emerged with new active participants - previously absent from traditional community engagement – are playing a key role in combating the worst effects of COVID-19.
With the city’s volunteers being rightly heralded as the fourth emergency service https://bjournal.co/brighton-volunteers-deliver-food-to-the-vulnerable/ the response to COVID-19 pandemic has been nothing short of immense.
Additionally, this has placed the local municipality, Brighton & Hove City Council, on emergency-planning and response footing: the 4000-strong workforce reconfiguring, priorities refocused with residents and communities at the centre of decision-making processes. Furthermore, often-maligned pace of municipality bureaucracy has been replaced largely with faster problem-solving solutions responding to a fluctuating situation for the city and its residents.
Whilst it is a sobering time for all in the city – whether political leader, Deliveroo rider, nurse, resident or NGO – there are glimmers of hope and kindness through this crisis that we ought to hold onto to enable fairer, kinder and more cohesive communities.
East Brighton’s acts of kindness and agile response
Across the city, groups have quickly assembled to respond to the pandemic and meet the needs of the most vulnerable residents. Mutual aid and COVID-19 WhatsApp groups have been set up – individual streets to larger neighbourhoods – highlight the hyper-local response: https://brightonmutualaid.co.uk/local-groups/. These groups are supporting their neighbours by buying and collecting essential items from food to medical prescriptions to sharing ideas on keeping children entertained and stimulated during lockdown. These simple acts are making social connections with those that are most isolated and meeting the gaps that municipal services cannot tackle.
BELTA volunteer team
Other groups have taken this a step further, by galvanising local support and repurposing a community asset into a food production and distribution hub.
The quick establishment of the East Brighton COVID-19 fund enabled The East Brighton Food Coop, alongside the trustees of BELTA (Bristol Estate Leaseholders & Tenants) to establish an emergency food hub that makes over fifty hot meals a day, delivering to those most in need on the estate. A volunteer-led and run food emergency response, providing and delivering hot meals to those in East Brighton for a small donation of £2.00, if people can pay. Additionally, the proceeds from East Brighton COVID-19 fund enabled purchase of additional equipment needed to set up the food hub, from fridges to bulk food ingredients and packaging. The East Brighton Food Cooperative have since expanded their operation, launching a second hub at Robert Lodge community rooms, upping their meal capacity to 170 daily meals.
BELTA are at a real advantage, as they know their client-base (neighbours) and their needs. Not only that, alongside East Brighton Food Cooperative and other partners, they have sourced local talent – chefs, fundraisers, graphic designers and more. They have also liaised with the Brighton & Hove Food Partnership and local politicians to amplify their message and source key resources and Google’s G-Suite for virtual administration. Find out more:
https://www.eastbrightonfoodcoop.uk/?page_id=2
https://twitter.com/EBFoodCoop
Reaching out to communities during the crisis
Brighton Youth Service Programme Calendar (TDC; HKP; Tarner Community Project)
There has been acknowledgement that one size does not fit all with communication and resources needed to be tailored to all demographics and communities within the city. Whether it is youth workers providing a weekly programme of activity through to translating key COVID-19 support information in the city’s numerous spoken languages, NGOs and the municipality are working together to reach the most vulnerable residents.
The municipality’s Community Engagement team produced and distributed a special community newsletter for each community across the city – detailing emergency numbers, support and other key information during the pandemic. This newsletter is aimed at those who are digitally excluded and likely to be missing out on key support. Volunteers are distributing the newsletters within their streets or apartment blocks, not only to speed up circulation but also comply with the social distancing guidelines.
Digital exclusion is in key focus and the leading NGO Digital Brighton and Hove is harnessing their Digital Champions to help connect residents and familiarise themselves with video chat apps such as Zoom and Skype. Furthermore, they are making use of DevicesDotNow – a national initiative, backed by national government, to ask businesses to donate tablets, smartphones and laptops, as well as connectivity in the form of sims, WiFi dongles and mobile hotspots in response to COVID-19.
Find out more about Digital Brighton & Hove: https://digitalbrightonandhove.org.uk/covid-19-network-response/ and the DevicesDotNow initiative https://futuredotnow.uk/devicesdotnow/
Creative response to the crisis
Meanwhile, others have responded creatively to the pandemic. Photographer and ardent Whitehawk FC fan JJ Waller reflected on how his lockdown photography series came into being:
JJ Waller 2020
‘I was working on a new book – coast to coast [across Sussex] and the lockdown measures came in. I work in a photographic, anthropological way. To [comply with social distancing] I shot people through windows and tested [the photos] on Facebook. The picture with the little girl in the stain-glassed window…That’s what the one that kicked it off really’
JJ Waller 2020
It’s been… self-perpetuating – people have come to me with requests – people keep getting in touch via Facebook, Instagram…it’s just a simple idea. The National Emergencies Trust Coronavirus Appeal got in touch and requested use of my photos for their donations page, I obliged and then donated £300 I received to the Whitehawk Food Bank, so it has gone full circle really’
JJ Waller, Photographer
https://www.jjwaller.com/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/02/brighton-photographer-charts-life-under-coronavirus-lockdown
No Football? No Problem at Whitehawk FC
Communities have been missing watching their favourite team play, so Whitehawk FC looked to recreate this during lockdown. A 12-goal classic over Instagram and Twitter also provided over £1700 to COVID-19 causes in East Brighton and Guernsey.
Not quite the same as watching a football match from the stands but a innovative way to connect with fans during the pandemic.
https://twitter.com/HawksFCOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/whitehawkfc/
Return of Shopping (and delivering) Local?
Access to food has become a critical priority during this crisis and all within food supply chains are under pressure to deliver. This has led to unprecedented waiting times (up to five weeks) for local supermarket home deliveries and even waiting times to enter supermarkets are significant to comply with strict social distancing guidelines.
This has seen an emerging trend of local businesses – greengrocers, bakeries, butchers – aiming to meet the needs of local people. With localised supply chains, social entrepreneurial spirit and strong digital presence, there has been a return to buying locally. Brighton Quarantine has been set up as a directory of local businesses delivering food and other essentials https://www.brightonquarantine.co.uk/.
In East Brighton, Dubleaus the Grocer have not only been offering free local delivery but offered same-day delivery for vulnerable customers and have been receiving requests miles away from their home in Whitehawk and working with Brighton & Hove Community Transport to reach those most in need: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Dubleausthegrocer
Dubleaus Grocers, Whitehawk, East Brighton
Communities, NGOs have responded to COVID-19 with acts of kindness, with agile responses and innovation that has often outpaced municipalities and big businesses. This uncertain time may just yet see the rejuvenation of civic society within the UK post-crisis. Let’s hope the cohesive and asset-based elements we have seen as part of our ‘new normal’ can outlast COVID-19.
JJ Waller 2020
Written and compiled by Tom Goodridge, ACTive NGOs Brighton & Hove Coordinator
