Emdad Rahman
A coalition of volunteer groups have come together to support East London communities as the Coronavirus continues to bring hardship and misery to the lives of the most vulnerable community members.
At the launch of the project on Wednesday, 200 food packs and 400 hot meals were served to vulnerable local residents by 31 volunteers – many being elderly and home bound.
The collective is made up of the Island Network, in partnership with Docklands Football Club, Island BWO, One Third Soup Kitchen, Al Aqsa Mosque, St John’s, Virginia Community Group, Markham Heights Residents, East End Covid 19 Support Network, Millwall CA, Westferry CO and the Hedgecock Community Centre Foodbank, Barking.
The initiative has received tremendous local backing from the likes of Zakir Khan, Associate Director at the Canary Wharf Group and Rohul Miah from One Housing.
Prominent members of the local community who volunteered for deliveries included Abdul Sabur from Docklands Football Club, Abdul Malik from Island BWO, Tuha Mustafa, Mortuza Miah and Abul Hussain.
Zakir Khan, Associate Director – Canary Wharf Group said, “As a global community we are facing the most challenging of times and on behalf of the Canary Wharf Group, and more importantly, as a member of this community, I want to say how proud I am to see how we have all come together to look out for our most vulnerable citizens.”
Maium Miah Talukdar – Island Network Chair added, “Our volunteers are small in number and naturally we are struggling for numbers. But their spirit is kind and we will do whatever we can to help as many as possible.
“It’s near impossible for our government to reach out to everyone individually but the community can step in and fill the gaps. Networking has greatly helped us make a big impact today and will be important in our work going forward.”
The next step for the coalition is to approach local schools and offer the service to pupils who are attending classes and the staff who are supporting them.
If you would like a hot meal delivered please contact Maium Miah Talukdar – Island Network Chair on 07983 798791. Email Mdmaium@gmail.com