Stratford’s Carpenters Estate is well-known for its housing troubles, but more importantly it is a major hub of solidarity and support for the people of Newham during the Covid crisis.

The estate’s social support and a food bank operation over the last nine months has helped more than 100 people back into work and delivered 300 tons of food and supplies to more than 1,000 of Newham’s most vulnerable people and families.

Two key people behind this humanitarian effort are twin forces of nature – Samantha White, Manager of the Carpenters and Docklands Centre, and Tee Fakubin, an estate activist and former chair of the now-defunct Tenants Management Organisation (TMO).

Tee Fakubin, left, and Samantha White: providing support and optimistic about the future

Both women are long-term residents on an estate which is due for a much-delayed refit in the coming years. Tee works from the TMO centre which, with 12 full time volunteers, is the hub of Newham’s biggest food bank and includes, a computer learning centre and the Carpenters’ Café, which is a meeting point for homeless people and others looking for a cup of tea and a chat.

She works closely with Samantha at the Carpenters Community Centre which opened in June 1972 and is part of the Docklands Settlements, a welfare project that began 126 years ago in Canning Town and now serves communities in Newham, Tower Hamlets and Southwark.

The centre is normally a busy social hub providing valuable services to local residents and includes a sports hall, judo training room and meeting rooms. But today it is quiet with only regular children’s support work and some martial arts classes able to function despite the Covid-19 restrictions.

Together the centre and TMO have provided vital support for the homeless who during the week have access to the food bank and the showers and bathing facilities.

In addition, support for local children and parents has been has been life-changing for some residents says Samantha.

“We have helped 120 parents on low incomes to get back into the workplace. Our breakfast club and after school support means children get looked after while parents are working,” she said.

But it’s the vital lifeline of food for hungry families that has made most differences to many lives during the pandemic.

“We estimate that since the end of March, when lockdown was first imposed, we have distributed more than 300 tons of food to about 1166 people in Newham and to a further 380 outside the borough,” said Samantha.

The cancellation of many parts of the centre’s social programme has created a void in the lives of many people.

“In the days before Covid each Thursday more than 70 older people would come to the dance hall for four hours,” says Samantha. “It was an essential part of their lives and a way to combat loneliness.”

Since lockdown this vital resource for meeting-up and making friends has gone missing.

“The real crisis of Covid is the crisis of loneliness and there is nothing we can do about it.”

Tee agrees. “Homeless people want to talk,” she says. “Many will come just for a cup of tea and some company.”

The Carpenters operation is not just an example of charitable endeavour, it is also built on highly-competent management and efficiency.

The centre has organised a steady flow of food and supplies from nine donors including local supermarkets.

Each week unsold food and supplies from Morrisons, Sainsbury, Waitrose and M & S are collected for redistribution.

It delivers food to 75 households in twice weekly rounds of the estate, and feeds 70 homeless people, and is itself supplying 16 other charities and food banks in Newham and the surrounding area.

For the last three years the Carpenters Centre has provided a popular shelter for the homeless over Christmas. Covid has cancelled the shelter plan for this year – but

Christmas dinner will still be available.

Details and further information here.

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