WENDY’S A COVID HERO
FEEDING THE CITY
THE coronavirus pandemic has had wide-ranging and farreaching consequences in our society.
When the first lockdown was imposed, food banks saw a huge rise in demand, with one Bristol food bank experiencing a 248 per cent spike in April and another saying it was facing “overwhelming demand” as parents struggled to feed their children.
It is in this context that Wendy Baverstock, volunteer manager at the Henbury and Brentry community centre, decided to step up what they were doing to help people in need in the area.
So far, it is estimated the community centre has distributed around five tonnes of food which is why, as a result of her hard work and dedication, Wendy has been nominated as a Covid Hero.
We’ve teamed up with Amazon for the initiative, which aims to recognise the outstanding work that has taken place within our communities during some of the most challenging times.
Wendy, who has been the centre’s volunteer manager for three years, said prior to the lockdown they had a community fridge as they had been getting donations from Aldi since last Christmas.
They then started to receive food from a variety of sources including donations from the community and partnered up with FareShare.
As a result of this, Wendy started going round supermarkets to collect surplus food five or six times a week between 8.30-9.30pm, with her 15-year-old daughter often helping with the collections.
“My car has been used a lot during the lockdown,” she continued. “There have been times I have had 20 supermarket crates in my car.
“By the time you come back from the supermarket run and put it all away, I have been here up to 11.30pm some nights. It is quite a big ask.”
The volunteer manager said the centre became one of the hubs appointed by Bristol City Council, meaning the council referred people to them and they could offer support with food and medicines, among other things.
During lockdown, the centre also helped people who were vulnerable or shielding with dog walking or doing food shops for them.
Wendy said they are delivering food to 30 households each week, but at its peak during the first lockdown that surged to more than 120 households.
The 51-year-old added they had 30 volunteers helping with deliveries during lockdown, adding she estimated around five tonnes of food have been distributed so far.
“It has been like a whirlwind,” she continued. “People need help in the community and they need it now.”
Wendy said the community were very grateful for what they had done and that a fundraising page to buy some tinned food which was set up recently ended up raising £500.
Wendy was nominated to be a Covid Hero by Marianna Georgiou, the chairwoman of the Henbury and Brentry community council.
She said Wendy had given all of her time in the past few months to make sure the Henbury and Brentry community centre provides whatever people need through the pandemic.
Marianna said Wendy had been getting funding for the community centre and doing improvements to the centre, such as electrical works or redecorating, on top of her work with the food deliveries.
“Wendy is essential and we couldn’t do it [the food scheme] without her - she is the heart of the community,” Marianna said.