There With You: Gants Hill children launch campaign delivering positive messages with food parcels
Key workers' children from Gearies Primary School paired up with Redbridge Council's well being service to launch #Redbridgesmilestogether. Picture: Redbridge Council - Credit: Archant
To help brighten a vulnerable Redbridge resident’s day a new campaign encourages children to send in drawings that will be delivered alongside parcels.
The service has children send in positive messages which are included alongside food bank parcels for the elderly and vulnerable. Picture: Redbridge Council - Credit: Archant
The council launched the new feel-good initiative, #Redbridgesmilestogether today to connect children’s creativity and messages to vulnerable and elderly residents during the lockown.
The initiative is aimed at encouraging children to draw, design, or paint colourful and positive pictures, or letters, that will then be delivered alongside food bank parcels to vulnerable residents, who are self-isolating.
The team, who work for the council’s newly-launched well-being service, are asking parents to get their children involved to help vulnerable residents smile during this difficult time.
The children of key workers at Gearies Primary School in Gants Hill helped to launch the campaign and their creative designs will start to be delivered next week.
The aim is to connect children's creativity and positive messages to those who are self-isolating during coronavirus lockdown. Picture: Redbridge Council - Credit: Archant
Cllr Jas Athwal, Leader of the Council said: “The simple gesture of a picture or letter created by a child for a vulnerable resident who lives alone, without any family nearby, will make the world of difference and could help lift their spirits.
“This wonderful cross-generational initiative is also a great activity to help keep young minds busy, enabling children to share their creativity with older residents.
“Times like these show us all how important our local community is, and I have been moved by the many acts of kindness residents have shown each other so far during the pandemic.”
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Summer Mordey, age 9 said: “I hope that when my picture is delivered with somebody’s food parcel, it makes them smile.”
The council is asking parents to send their child’s drawings or letters to Dan Lea at Gearies primary school, Waremead Road, Gants Hill IG2 6TF.
The well-being service has already provided aid or advice to hundreds of callers requesting help and support, in addition to more than 80 deliveries of food parcels.
The well-being service can be contacted on 020 8708 5555, and is open seven days a week, 8 am to 8 pm.
For further information, visit: https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/coronavirus-information-hub/coronavirus-well-being-service/
