Community Power Podcast Series 3 Episode 9: Heart of Sidley – tackling food poverty through community-driven support

Episode 9: Heart of Sidley – tackling food poverty through community-driven support

Chris Allen

Hello and welcome to the latest Community Power Podcast, the series being brought to you in partnership with Local Trust. My name’s Chris Allen, and in this series of podcasts, we’re showcasing some incredible projects. We’re focusing in particular on what happens when you give local people the resources, the power and the assets to make a difference to their own neighbourhoods. With me is series producer Kirsten Sinclair. Kirsten tell us about this week’s destination. 

Kirsten Sinclair 

Yeah, Chris, today we’re heading on over to Heart of Sidley [in Hertfordshire], a tight knit neighbourhood with a strong sense of community. While the bonds between local people are undeniable, there are hidden challenges beneath the surface. We spoke with Sally Ricketts, a local resident and volunteer in Heart of Sidley and their project coordinator Tanya Vice, who shared their Big Local’s journey of uncovering food poverty in the area and how their Big Local project has been tackling it. 

Chris Allen

Indeed, in a moment we’ll hear from Tanya. But first of all, I asked Sally to tell us a little bit about her role in the area. 

Sally Ricketts

I’m a resident of the Sidley village. I am a freelancer, so I do a lot of work from home. I’m a partner of the Heart of Sidley, and for the last two years, I’ve been involved with processing the Household Support Fund vouchers to our residents to ensure that they are supported during cost of living crisis, and I do HAF, which is working with children during school holidays. 

Chris Allen

It’s a holiday activities fund (HAF), isn’t it? And that’s kind of activities and food together. So you’re keeping yourself busy, then, aren’t you? 

Sally Ricketts

Yeah. Quite busy. 

Chris Allen

And you’re sitting alongside Tanya there. Tanya, tell us your role in the programme. 

Tanya Vice

Hi, Chris, yeah. So I’m the Heart of Sidley Project Coordinator. I’m employed by a locally trusted organisation for Heart of Sidley. And I’ve been with Heart of Sidley now for five years coming up, and I do all their bidding basically. My role is to support them, sort of coach and mentor them to feel enabled to spend the money that they need to spend from Local Trust within the community. But then also, I run and manage all the projects, coordinate the meetings, that sort of thing. 

Chris Allen

Well, I know from other Big Local areas how vital your role is. So thank you for doing that and within over a period of time, because actually over that period of time, you get to know people don’t you? The partnerships and relationships all build up. 

Tanya Vice

Exactly yes, for sure. 

Chris Allen

And tell us a little bit about the the area, Tanya? You know, those of us who’ve not ventured down to where you are, I say down because I’m I’m further north than you, but those of us who’ve not ventured down there, tell us a little bit about the area, the geography and what makes up the community. 

Tanya Vice

So Sidley is a village in the Bexhill area, which is in East Sussex. It’s made up of about 9000 homes, and Heart of Sidley is about 3000 of those homes. It’s a really connected community, I’d say, standing here. People are very proud of the area they live in, which is so important. So that’s really good to know. People look after the area and are really proud and very connected with each other. But at the same time, in need of a lot of support, which is why we do things like apply for extra funding, like the Household Support Fund, because it’s so essential, and the holiday clubs and whatever. 

Chris Allen

And so that’s something a lot of the needs sort of are hidden in the area. If you look at it to start with, people think, ​“Oh, this is a nice place to be.” But actually, a lot of the the needs are are beneath the surface? 

Tanya Vice

Yeah, definitely, I would say so. I mean, one of the huge advantages of running this Household Support Fund project that we do – which we call Sidley vouchers – is that you don’t have to be on benefits or qualified in a certain way. Just because someone’s not on benefit doesn’t mean they don’t have great need, you know? 

Chris Allen

Absolutely indeed. And Sally, you’ve been involved with the programme for a couple of years. But have you lived in the area longer than that? 

Sally Ricketts

I moved here in 2017. I’ve never felt so fulfilled as I have since being involved more in part of this community, because it ranges from children that come out of their shells, that are new and have disabilities and they’re chatting to you by the end of the summer, to old age pensioners that just want to, sort of like they actually stopped me and talked to me and asked me, you know, how I am and we have little chats. It takes a while to get back home, but it’s worth it, it’s really worth it. 

Chris Allen

That’s a really lovely thing to say about your community and the different people in your community. Thanks, Sally, and you know, thanks to you for all the work you do there. But I do know that you sort of, as you get more and more known, you know that that tiny walk becomes a an hour walk, doesn’t it, because all people you chat to. So you’ve got this focus on on food, if I put it that way. How did that arise, Tanya? What, what was the sort of evidence that this was going to be a real priority for the partnership? 

Tanya Vice

What happened in COVID was that people accessed food banks more, didn’t they suddenly? You know, all sorts of issues arose or came out of the woodwork where people suddenly needed a lot more support. And that didn’t end when we came out of lockdown. People were often worse off, had lost jobs or whatever. So there was kind of such a need for extra support. So we teamed up with another local community group, and we applied for this funding, and we came up with an idea that instead of pre-packing parcels like you get at the food bank, we connected with the local retailers, because we wanted to try and ensure that not only were we supporting local individuals, but we were trying to support local businesses who were really struggling at the time to survive as well. So the whole criteria around this funding was for food and essential items. And that was a really short project. It wasn’t even, I don’t even think it was six months, and it was almost like… 

Sally Ricketts

I think it was for like three months. 

Tanya Vice

Hum. But the retailers came on board really quickly, and the community just grabbed this opportunity to apply for a voucher where they were empowered to make their own choices on spending. Obviously, we have agreements in place with retailers. You can’t buy things like alcohol or cigarette or e‑cigarettes or gambling cards. It’s for essential items and food. 

Chris Allen

Do you feel that the time of COVID uncovered needs that were actually there in the community over a longer period of time, but we didn’t know about it until the situation of COVID sort of brought that to light, as well as people perhaps losing their jobs? 

Tanya Vice

I do think so, Chris, yeah. I do think it has all come out of the woodwork that that level of support has been needed, but not necessarily met. 

Chris Allen

Right and Sally, in all the little wanderings you do around the area, those long walks that should take less time, but the chats you have. What’s the kind of things that people say to you with regard to their needs? And because, I’m sure they open up to you as a local resident, and you begin to get real insight as to what people are saying. 

Sally Ricketts

Sometimes it’s really quite hard to listen to people’s stories about how they’re struggling. You know, they’ve got children they’re trying to feed. They’re living in accommodation that isn’t always fit for them. They can’t afford to heat their homes. They can’t afford to do a weekly shop. They’re always thinking on their feet. We have a lot of pensioners where the income that they get is just so limited, and that’s hard, because I know that they skip meals. I know they probably only eat once a day. And we have parents that are the same, you know, they, you know, children are ill. They’re going backwards and forwards and to hospital appointments in London. And that’s expensive and they can’t work because of their situation. And once you get into that situation, it spirals, and the debts build up and build up and build up, and it’s hard to see. But I like to be the one that’s kind of listening and say, ​“Yeah, I’ve been there. I’ve been in a homeless shelter. I’ve had five children, you know, three children in a homeless shelter before I came here.” So I know exactly what it’s like. I’ve gone to food banks and things like that. So I have a kind of empathy with people, and they realise that they can open up to me, and I’m not going to judge them. I just want to help, and that, hopefully what they see is someone that just cares and wants to help. 

Tanya Vice

The value that you have, that lived experience, yeah, and that people don’t feel judged at all, which is fantastic. 

Chris Allen

Is that ​“don’t feel judged” is important, and removing all that, stigma. Sally, obviously from, you know, thank you for sharing some of your personal background there, which obviously gives a real insight into into why you have such empathy for people, such insight into their needs. Um, but isn’t that being able to let people just support them remove the stigma of it? You know, ​“We’re in this together. You don’t need to, don’t need to hide behind your pride on this one, we will support you any way we can.” How important that is? 

Sally Ricketts

I mean, years ago, it used to be leave your back door open. I remember my grandma’s the kettle was always on, and it was a free flow of people coming in for a cuppa, and that went. And COVID kind of collapsed it even more, and people when now, I think in this village realising that we’re trying to build the community back and getting it to people that they feel cared about with value. 

Chris Allen

But no brilliant. I want to come back to the vouchers in a minute, because that really fits in with that, some aspect of dignity that is within that. But just going back to your relationship with local businesses Tanya. Because in some areas as well, there’s been this move away from food banks, move towards community shops. But sometimes that puts in a bit of tension with local shops, doesn’t it? But what you’ve done here, by the sounds of it, is you’ve worked with local shops so you’re able to try to meet local needs of people with regard to food, but also you’re supporting businesses too. 

Tanya Vice

Yeah, definitely. I don’t believe in kind of replicating what’s already there. So if we have local businesses or groups that are already have an offer that can support the community, let’s find a way to work together to make that happen. It’s just no point duplicating or creating extra competition, especially when things are so, when times are so hard already. And you know, those organisations have kind of given back in their own way. We do the festive lights in December, November, December, and we look for local business sponsorship. And those businesses that we’ve supported through the the Household Support Fund project, they are have now been in positions to sponsor the festive lights since then, which has been amazing. 

Chris Allen

So when you went along to the local businesses, ​“look, and we’ve got this idea, we’re going to give people vouchers. Can they come and spend them at your shop?” What was the immediate kind of reaction to it? You know, my head said, What about fraud? What about security? What about, you know, people beginning to get them all on the photocopier, you know, how did you sort of begin to develop those relationships with the with the businesses, so that they could trust the scheme? 

Tanya Vice

Well, what happened was we first had to decide behind the scenes what the plan was going to be, how it would work the whole concept, because you can, you know, with paper vouchers, you can get in a situation with fraud. So, we set up a really good system behind the scenes where the the retailers, they get a list of, say, voucher codes to work with. The local residents who apply for vouchers get codes either emailed to them or on paper, because some of them don’t have email. And then those vouchers are matched up with what the retailer has. They get their payments kind of in advance for the month, so they’re sitting with the credit. They don’t have to spend their own money. I suppose we just when we first met with them, we made sure we had a system in place and that they were reassured that they weren’t going to be out of pocket by participating in this scheme. And they understood the concept behind it, because a lot of our retailers do actually support residents regardless. You know, aside from the scheme, all three of them are really good. They do help people in the community. You know, even out of their own pocket. That’s, you know, it’s a close community, so when we presented it to them, sorry, to go back to your question, Chris, they were on board. They were keen and excited. They thought it was a brilliant idea. 

Chris Allen

And that’s because they’re community people themselves, aren’t they, from what you just said to me? 

Tanya Vice

They definitely are. Yes. They either live within the community or nearby, and you know, their business wouldn’t survive without being part of the community. 

Chris Allen

And has there been any attempt on fraud? 

Tanya Vice

You always get it one or two try to take advantage of the system. But, yeah, sadly, it is sad. And you know, you could very quickly go, ​“Well, we’re fearful of this situation, so we’re not going to do it anymore”. But we nipped it in the bud. You know, between Sally and I, we had a really good system in place to ensure that there was double checking happening. And, you know, it’s quite fine tuned now. There isn’t really space for fraud, is there? 

Sally Ricketts

I think they’ve cottoned on quite quickly that I’m pretty hot on the tail. Sometimes I’ve phoned them and go ​“I don’t think I’d do it again” and it doesn’t happen again. Because I’m like, ​“Yeah, I understand you might be desperate, but there are other people and need to be treated fairly.” 

Tanya Vice

And just if you are desperate just just let us know. We can help, you know. And I think that’s the the part about having such a close network as well between the retailers and us. Everyone is working so closely together. If someone is going to try, try something, it’s spotted really, really quickly. It’s spotted straight away. There is no room for that. 

Chris Allen

And I love the fact that you actually just found your way around it. You know, because lots of places I’ve been in so many meetings over so many years where people would come up with an idea, ​“oh, you can’t do that. That’ll happen. That’ll happen.” They’ve just sort of the doom mongers, aren’t they? They just ​“Oh, it’ll all go horribly wrong.” But you say, ​“okay, it goes wrong. We’ll find another way around. It goes wrong, we’ll do it again.” And Local Trust has enabled you to experiment with this and take the risk trying to make it happen. 

Tanya Vice

And when we applied for the funds, we allowed for that kind of we allowed for a certain level of kind of mistakes and misspend and fraud, you know, which I think you have to. All of that is part of the learning journey to create a system that works. 

Chris Allen

And Sally you were saying that you’re already at the heart of these, these vouchers and everything, and we talked earlier about a dignified way of operating. How do you see that helping people so it’s more like a hand up than a handout? 

Sally Ricketts

Yeah, definitely. Because if people got food in their bellies, they function better. It lifts their mood. It helps with their mental health. And being able to listen to people and reassure them that they’re not on their own, we can help, we can point them in directions. So it’s letting letting people be aware of what’s there. Because sometimes a lot of people don’t even go out house and it’s sad because they don’t know what’s available to them. 

Chris Allen

I’m sort of guessing on that Sally, that the vouchers means a great deal to them, but your chat with them also means a great deal, because you’re beginning to break down some of that loneliness and that isolation? 

Sally Ricketts

Yeah, very important. And I think it goes hand in hand, you know, just being able to listen. And for me, it’s like, I’m an ambassador for my children. My daughter comes out with me. She’s like, ​“Do you actually know that person that you just been talking to for the last 10 minutes?” And I’m like, ​“No, I don’t know them personally, and I can’t remember their name.” ​“Why are you talking to them then?” I’m like, ​“Listen, if you give people time and listen to their needs, they’re going to feel better. And if you can make them smile, that’s going to lift them up for the rest of the day.” And now she does it. She goes out and she talks to everyone now, and it’s keeping that sense of community and passing it on to make sure that when my daughter is old, she’s doing the same. 

Chris Allen

That’s really lovely. My daughter once said to me, ​“Dad, you can talk to anybody about anything, can’t you?” It sounds like we’re in the same club. Sally, aren’t we? We are in the same club. Absolutely brilliant. And will the community hub be an important part a place, then again, where people can come, not just perhaps have their needs met in certain ways, but just a place to come and be for some of those conversations that you have? 

Tanya Vice

Lovely. It is definitely a place for people to come together, to feel less isolated, to access services that they need. The Hub will be a central point where people can come and talk to us. We’ll actually have a place that people can come and talk to us, which is going to be quite exciting. 

Chris Allen

It sounds like Sally will be doing a lot doing a lot less walking though. You know people coming to you rather than… 

Sally Ricketts

My dog doesn’t let me rest. 

Chris Allen

So Sally in your wandering around, chatting to people. What’s the kind of feedback you’ve been having, any particular stories of people that come to mind that really have have moved you really and the impact that you’re having? 

Sally Ricketts

I get a lot of emails where families are like, ​“thank you so much. You do not know how much just having these vouchers just means to our family. It’s really helped me out. I really, really appreciate it. You know, I’m actually getting fruit and veg inside me and being able to afford food”, and they are genuinely, really grateful, and it does mean a lot to them, and it also means a lot to me that I’m putting food in people’s bellies and helping them to function. 

Chris Allen

And let’s not dodge the issue we’re dealing with here. We’re dealing with life and death, aren’t we? We’re dealing with extreme mental health issues here as well. So do you get the sense from some people of that level of desperation? 

Sally Ricketts

Yeah, definitely, definitely, on the phone, and it’s quite heartbreaking. You know, I had one chat, and he’s like, ​“I haven’t been able to cook anything because I can’t afford the electric. I’m living in one room with a little electric fire and my dog to keep me warm”, and his mental health has like hit rock bottom. So you know, he he will find me regularly, but it’s more for him for a chat to kind of feel that actually, I can talk to her and and stuff. Luckily, my partner doesn’t mind. He understands that people, other people, like male or female, sort of like, chat to me and and sometimes I have to, kind of like, I wear my heart on my sleeve. So if I hear a sad story, I’m like, I need to go around and, like, sort him out and stuff like that. And I had to kind of step back, but do what I can with what I do with the vouchers, and listen. 

Tanya Vice

We had, I think Sally could probably share a story – obviously we won’t share names – but with a gentleman who doesn’t live in permanent housing. 

Sally Ricketts

Yeah. ​“There’s one chap, he lives in a caravan, but he’s in the area, would you be able to help him?” And I was like, ​“Well, yeah, of course, if he’s within the area”, and they said he’s really nice, he’s just never been helped before. He’s never been able to get into doctor surgeries, which the greengrocer has helped with. They managed to get him an appointment at the local doctor surgery. And I chatted to him on the phone, and it was really, really lovely to say, ​“Yeah, I can help you.” And I think it threw him a bit, because he’s like, ​“No, everyone like sees me because I live in a caravan”, and it meant the world to him to actually get these vouchers. When I went the following week to the greengrocers, they said this guy was literally in tears when he got these vouchers, because no one has ever helped him throughout his life the way that we have as a community. And that’s special. 

Tanya Vice

That’s very special. We also, we’ve had a couple of local residents who have gone through a cancer journey and had to have time off work, and their income has been affected. And the vouchers have made a huge difference in their life. And obviously being able to access, you know, good quality healthy food and basic essentials has meant the world to them, and the difference it makes in being able to cope with what they’re going through as well. 

Chris Allen

That is heart of Sidley Project Coordinator, Tanya Vice, and before that, we heard from volunteer, Sally Ricketts. Kirsten your reflections on the area? You know, it’s Sally used to go on these walks, which got longer and longer as you talk to more and more people. 

Kirsten Sinclair

Oh, it’s it’s an incredible story of a community coming together to address food poverty in a way that offers, much like what Sally said a hands up, fostering empowerment and resilience along the way. And it just shows what talking to people, you know, even if it’s five minutes, what that can really do to a person. And as ever, there’s more information in the show notes. 

Chris Allen

Thanks, Kirsten. Indeed, please do follow that up. And Kirsten and I look forward to you joining us next time on the community power podcast, brought to you by Local Trust, discovering what happens when you give local people the power, the money and the assets to make a difference to their own neighbourhoods.