It’s been a mad old summer with me darting back and forth to Manchester to rescue fruit and veg from the wholesale market. Thanks to FareShare I’ve managed to give out free fruit and veg to hundreds of people.
Miranda, Derek and Eric at the market have restored my faith in people working to alleviate food poverty. Not all the people I have met this summer have had the best interests of the poor at heart. It’s been very upsetting to find that there is greed and corruption within the food poverty business. You’ll hear more about this in September.
Two very special friends of ours, George and Celia have been there every Friday to sort through tons of fruit and veg. Without them we couldn’t have done it and they have only taken payment in vegetables. Truly special people.
The families we’ve met out there have humbled us with their stories of survival within this dreadful, shameful ‘Big Society’ created by our government.
Mum’s have made apple pies, apple and blackberry crumbles, vegetable lasagnes, fresh tomato sauce, cauliflower cheese. So much good cooking with all this wonderful produce.
I don’t want to stop and it kills me to think that the piggies will be eating those delicious vegetables at the end of the summer when I have to stop.
Even though I’ve had my bum bitten by a dog and managed to get myself locked inside a room for two hours without food or wine I wouldn’t have missed this experience for the world.
No more for now as I have a massive event coming up next week where I have agreed to create an edible landscape for a zillion people. Even Ged is having nightmares about it.
Until then, please check out my Facebook page for updates.
So many people do not lift a finger beyond their needs, but you did. And many other people do go out and help; glad you found some of those that are still awake and fighting the good fight, Gill.
The inequities of the world are NOT innate to Man, and they can be shaken off – therein lies the Hope of Man. However Herculean the task, none of us should give up on moving toward the mutual goal of a world clear-thinking enough, willing enough and tough enough to throw off the shackles of our aberrations. The Latin “aberrare,” after all, means “to go astray, wander from,” and a clear path would be a straight line from Point A to Point B.
I met so many amazing people Ron. This country’s in a mess, as is yours, but poverty does have some positives. There was no racial tension out there. Everyone was in the same boat so they all looked out for and helped each other. A lesson to us all.
You write so hosently about this. Thanks for sharing!
Good Morning Gill
I would like to ask if you would consider coming along to an event hosted and organised by East Lancs Chamber of Commerce called:
Unique Women Lunch & Learn networking, I have just started to book venues for 2015 and one of these is Stanley House in Mellor, Nr Blackburn.
I am always looking for inspirational female speakers and after reading your website and blog feel you would be a fantastic speaker to offer a 20 minute presentation to a group of business women all from East Lancashire.
We normally attract around 50 to 80 ladies for this luncheon networking event, which we host 5 times per year.
The event has been booked for the 21st April 2015 and the timings are 11.45am to 2.30pm, the speaker slot is normally 12.40pm for 20 minutes, but we could maybe chat in more detail if this is something you may wish to consider getting involved with.
I will leave this with you and look forward to continuing reading your blog and hearing from you.
Please note, if you were not able to make the 21st April 2015, I am booking more venues and dates for 2015.
Kind regards
Chrissy Pilkington
01254 356434
07976977867
@elancschamber
Hi Chrissy, thank you so much for the invite. I’d love to give a talk to your ladies and have sent you an e mail.