No better way to spend three hours!

Twice a month on a Saturday Lucy Sillito gets up at 7.30am and travels an hour across London to volunteer for Hackney Foodbank.

The 35-year-old has lives in Balham and works in data for a publishing company. She has previously volunteered for homelessness charities and has been with the food bank for almost two years.

She said: “I really love coming and engaging with the visitors. You build these relationships that are really restorative. Talking with people here is such a human connection; it’s different from work. I see these friendly faces and I always look forward to coming.

“I’ve built a whole Saturday routine around it. After volunteering, I head to Oxfam Books and pootle around! I love reading and the books are only £1. Then I go to a Pilates class in Shoreditch.   It doesn’t feel like I go out of my way to volunteer, it’s part of my day.

“I don’t think there is a better way to spend three hours of your week. I could have a lie in but I come in and engage with people. Other volunteers are like a little family’ we come together once a week for the same common purpose.  It’s these relationships that keep me coming.

“People are really in need and, if you’ve played a small part in making that better, that’s what you should look to achieve on a Saturday morning!

The food bank’s more regular visitors look forward to seeing Lucy – partly because she often makes Rocky Road with the broken biscuits, which she gives out at the food distribution centres.

Lucy added: “Meeting people who are experiencing such hard times opens your eyes to the fact that this can happen to anyone – with just a change of circumstances. It makes you more appreciative of everything.

“If you’re removed from it you can assume it’s a certain type of person who comes here, but working you can’t make assumptions. There is no standard face to this.”

Hackney Foodbank has volunteering shifts Monday-Saturday and is particularly in need of drivers. To find out more, email volunteer@hackneyfoodbank.org