As a portrait photographer, I wanted to share with photographs the amazing work going on in the local community in Battersea, London.
I have been so impressed by how local communities are working together to help during this pandemic. For example local charities have been quickly changing and ramping up their operations to make sure vulnerable people are getting the essentials they need and individuals have been volunteering and finding ways to help. I therefore decided to photograph how individuals or charities were helping in the community to help shine a light and share the positive things happening in the community.
I found out about this wonderful woman, Senia Dedic who set up Women of Wandsworth (WoW) charity. I was impressed how she had set up this charity over 15 years ago when she realised there was a lack of support for mothers trying to get back into work. The focus has changed overtime as Senia has ensured the charity meets gaps in support in the community.
So for the last 10 years, Senia has been supporting isolated elderly people living in local lodges. She has been holding fortnightly lunches which bring three generations together from the elderly to WoW mums and their children. This has created surrogate families and given a grandparent figure to children who often don’t have one close by.
Whilst sadly the lunches needed to stop during this crisis, Senia quickly changed how she could still support the elderly by regularly delivering much appreciated food with a friendly hello whilst following strict guidelines. The joy on the face of the lodge’s residents, especially when Senia also greeted them socially distance way has been a delight to capture through photographs.
Senia has been able to get help with deliveries from another voluntary organisation, Battersea Angels. This charity has been set up to help during Covid-19, when 2 local churches in Battersea, St Mary’s and the Sacred Church, realised there was a need to help people who have had to self-isolate. Volunteers, regardless of faith, have signed up to help when they could with collection and deliveries from a local pharmacy twice a day and have been helping local charities deliver food. Their admirable work has provided an on-demand delivery system which has allowed many other charities to be able to get essentials/food items delivered to those who need it most.
I loved seeing how local charities were changing their focus in time of need to help support the community and personally want to thank all the volunteers who are helping in their spare time.
