‘Campaign to end Loneliness’ reports that nearly 4 million people in UK experience chronic loneliness. This can manifest from feeling alone to being inhibited from engaging with people for a variety of reasons. This number is on the rise, with more people than ever before experiencing social isolation.  

Our mission is to tackle social isolation and food insecurity, with one of our main goals to provide a welcoming and non-judgmental services. We have a warm and inviting space for our community, as well as a fantastic group of volunteers, staff and regular customers that visit Nourish Hub for a range of different purposes. Through our recent ‘Our Hub, Your Voice’ report, we found that 82.5% of residents and 92.3 % of volunteers shared that they met new people through Nourish Hub. And we are always exploring ways to support those who feel lonely.  

“Connection keeps me alive. I don’t feel emptiness anymore, now that I come to Nourish Hub every day.” Nourish Hub Service User 

From 12-3pm, every weekday, we offer our community lunch, open to everyone. Using the rescued food, our amazing team of chefs and volunteers create healthy and nutritious meals for a small minimum donation of £3. Nourish Hub has been designed by and for the local community; from mural designs to accessibility features, Nourish Hub reflects our community.  We regularly have support services at our lunch sessions, so even if you’re not attending for the meals, you can talk to the Citizens Advice Bureau and Dr Bike about any additional support you may require.  

Some of our regular residents use the community lunch to catch up with one another, and discuss what’s going on in their lives, while others may sit back and play one of our board games, available for anyone to play, read some of our books in the communal library area or engage in some time around people, without having to interact. Lunchtime doesn’t always work for everyone, so we also run regular Community Dinners and a monthly morning book club where we discuss a range of fiction publications over hot drinks and snacks.  

“I love attending the Book Club for the social element of the monthly meet ups, as well as for the reading and discussing books, exploring genres that I would not have chosen myself. “ Natasha, Book Club participant 

The winter months can exacerbate the feelings of isolation. This is why we have begun our free to access Social Boardgames Club every Monday 12-3 pm. It’s a cozy way to spend your Monday afternoons playing games, laughing, and spending time with good company! Brunch and Learn is also new and is an opportunity for older adults to connect with their neighbours through a healthy vegetarian brunch and a ‘focus of the week’ activity or talk from guest speakers. These weekly sessions support individuals to meet new people while exploring interests while developing friendships.  

 ‘Working with such a wide variety of people is such a joy for us at Nourish Hub, but we are more than aware that many aspects of modern life are causing social isolation to rise. Living in London, a highly populated city, can exacerbate the problem and although it may seem that with public transport and lots of events and activities taking place, there is no need for anyone to feel alone. But many issues from illness to responsibilities, parenting, caring, employment schedules, language and culture can all have an impact on our feelings of belonging and inclusion. We hope that the Hub is a place to help remove some of those barriers.’ Ffion, Nourish Hub Manager. 

All the services at Nourish Hub are supported by our volunteers. Andreea manages everyone that volunteers for us, from kitchen staff to event support, and everything in between. There are so many reasons why people choose to volunteer; some want to give back by offering their time, others want to learn new skills, while many choose to take part in an activity that allows them to spend time with people, meet new friends and have some good chats over a cup of tea. 

You may have seen our e-cargo bikes, out and about in the community. They’re delivering our ‘Meals and Chat’ service to those who are not able to visit the Community Kitchen. Although they are delivering food, a lot of their role is to spend time chatting with those that receive the food. Jason, our Meals and a Chat Manager reports that ‘our service is so much more than just food, we’re the friendly face that not only delivers food but asks people how they are and how their week is going. This means a lot of elderly and vulnerable people who don’t often see many people week-to-week’. 

I have only been in the country for 6 months and a new place can be daunting and lonely; the Nourish Hub is providing me with the space to meet people regularly, build up relationships and learning about a different culture.” Keiko, NH kitchen assistant volunteer 

One of the great ways we engage members of the community and encourage people to meet like-minded people is through our education programme NourishEd. We find that some people feel more open to attending a specific purpose, and learning new things is a great ice breaker, and a journey that strangers can take together.  

Whatever reason our community chooses to spend their time with us, our activities we organised and facilitated around inclusion, acceptance and engagement. In doing so, we are reducing the high levels of social isolation in our community, which is a key reason for us to keep working hard and meeting as many people as possible.  

‘I love the staff and volunteers as they always have a big smile on their face when greeting people. It lifts your spirit up for sure!!’ Nourish Hub Service User 

We would love to hear from you. If you are interested in volunteering with us, donating food or financially, or joining us for some of our activities at Nourish Hub, please contact info@nourishhub.org.uk or visit our website www.nourishhub.org.uk.