The Lambeth spirit

Three cheers for our latest community hero, Joel de Mowbray at London’s Lambeth Council 

Just days before lockdown he received a call saying he needed to get the Brixton Rec (Recreation Centre) ready as a community hub.

Within three hours his team was onsite and within 72 hours, they were running a fully fledged processing, packing and distribution line shipping 300 crates a day. So far they’ve dispatched over 6000 weekly shops to locals in need.

In his own words: “It was organised but hectic for the first couple of days…trying to squeeze time to draw floor plan layouts for the operation in-between managing volunteers and lugging pallet loads of bananas, eggs, beans and everything else you can imagine.”

A modest man, Joel will say he’s just doing his job but word reaches us that he’s working all hours and truly going the extra mile.

Congratulations, there’s a much deserved gin hamper on its way to you.