We are delighted to receive the Mayor’s Volunteer for Cambridge Award as recognition of our volunteers’ hard work, and we are thankful that the council wishes to acknowledge the importance of mutual aid efforts and grassroots community responses to the hardships imposed and worsened by the coronavirus pandemic. We believe, however, that it would be disingenuous of us to accept this award without using the opportunity to comment on the systemic issues of inequality which form the wider backdrop against which we operate.
We believe it is a stark marker of the impact of austerity policies on our communities that it has been left to voluntary organisations, run by donations, to step in to provide food aid to those of us in need of support. We should not shy away from reminding ourselves that it is unacceptable that members of our community are being left to go hungry in the sixth largest economy in the world, whilst public money is continuously handed to politically-connected millionaires who profit from disaster whilst leaving most of us to struggle. Whilst we are inspired and emboldened every day by the millions of people in this country stepping up to support those in need, including those working in councils whose social care budgets have been repeatedly cut, it remains the case that grassroots organisations such as ourselves should not have to exist. The covid-19 pandemic has laid bare the realities of inequality in this country, and whilst symbolic gestures like the award we have received show a wonderful sentiment, they will not dissolve these inequalities or make tangible steps towards supporting our communities in long-lasting ways.
This being said, we are very grateful to have received this award, and to know that the mayor of Cambridge is supportive of the work we are doing. This work would, of course, not have been possible without access to the Lockon, a squatted building with a commercial kitchen which we have registered with the council in order to be able to use to cook the meals we serve. It would not be financially viable for a small organisation such as ourselves to do this work without a free space in which to do it, and we hope that those involved in giving us this award recognise the importance of the existence of non-commercial community spaces, such as squats, for the provision of direct community care and mutual aid. The Lockon also put in place some community fridges, which allow us to make surplus food donations publicly-available, thus extending the reach of the work we do. It also facilitates direct mutual aid between members of the local community, as anyone can leave donations and/or access free food at any time through the fridges (which are quality-checked and cleaned daily). We understand that the council initially removed the Lockon’s community fridge, but has returned it, and we hope that the recognition of the importance of food solidarity shown by this award extends to the community fridges, too.
We are hopeful that this award reflects the intention of a supportive relationship between Cambridge City Council and our community kitchen, including in the recognition of the importance of the space in which we operate, especially at a time when the rights of squatters, travellers, and other vulnerable groups are under attack. We are very grateful for this support, and hope that we can continue to build strong community ties throughout Cambridge through networks of mutual aid and supportive, transformative movements for social change.
Signed,
Cambridge Community Kitchen
