Resilience and Community: Lizzie’s Story

Lizzie comes from Scotland and has been based in Lambeth for over 25 years. She lives in Brixton and has seen a lot of changes during her time there. 

She heard about Healthy Living Platform through a friend. Her friend was using the Pantry just before the Covid restrictions came in and explained how much veg the Pantry was offering for an affordable price. As times were a little tough just then, Lizzie decided to give it a go herself. 

Penny was serving at the Pantry when Lizzie first went to buy veg. She asked if they needed any help and Penny said they’d love to have more volunteers. This is how Lizzie got started as a volunteer at Healthy Living Platform. It was several years ago during the Covid pandemic and she started by dropping food parcels off to people at home.

When it comes to cooking, Lizzie is not a big fan. But with 5 kids at home, there was no other option but to cook. Her kids are half Scottish and half Jamaican, so it's normally a mixture of Scottish and Jamaican dishes that gets served up at home. Lizzie likes to say her kids get to enjoy the snow of Scotland and the sun of Jamaica. She considers herself to be a fussy eater. If something doesn’t look or taste right, she doesn’t go near it again. She can’t touch fish or seafood as she generally has an allergic reaction, although she enjoys it when she goes to Jamaica. She has no real favourite meal, but enjoys doing a veggie or meat lasagne. And loves liver and onions when her partner cooks it. 

Sadly, Lizzie's youngest son Josh passed away a few years ago. During his illness, the family tried the ketogenic diet. It didn’t seem to help with Josh’s seizures, however, and he also didn’t like it, so Lizzie stopped it. Trying this diet did give her a different perspective on food and what’s possible though. 

As well as doing Covid food deliveries, Lizzie helped out by setting up and serving in the Pantry. She knows the community that use HLP’s services very well and was able to bring her local knowledge to the charity. Up to 81 people can be served a day at the Pantry. Lizzie feels it has brought everyone together and turned the community back into a community. When people come to get food, Lizzie sometimes asks them to get stuck in, put an apron on and help out. The local community loves it! Lizzie believes it helps with loneliness as well and building a strong sense of community. HLP and the Pantry removes barriers and connects people, getting people working together who wouldn’t normally do so. They’re a diverse bunch but they all treat each other respectfully and all learn how to get along. 

Being involved with HLP has done Lizzie’s mental health a world of good. Doctors had told her that she hadn’t grieved the loss of Josh properly. She had let things slide and was depressed. It was hard to see the point in things. Now she’s out all the time with HLP, it keeps her busy and happy. She’s got a great family life but needed something else. It brought her back to herself and gave her back her identity. She found something she had lost, her voice. Lizzie no longer feels like just a mum of 5, a mum of a disabled boy or mum of a dead son. She feels like herself again. 

At the Pantry, the people Lizzie and the team serve get to leave with their dignity intact. They don’t want charity and leave knowing they’ve paid for the food, which feels good. 

For Lizzie, HLP and the Pantry are all about people coming together, respecting others and building community.