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"We're always the first to be up and out on family holidays because we like to stay busy, and we were on furlough ourselves so we could afford to help others. In the beginning, we were laying out food and other essential household goods on tables at the front, so people could just help themselves to whatever they needed. Those who could afford it left donations, then with those we made hundreds of free meals — for Barnet Hospital, the Church, for Christmas, for the old and shielding — mostly in Chipping Barnet. Lots of people were helping us to deliver them.
I'm from Latvia, so I was doing lots of Zooms to keep in touch with my family there. I met Dan here when we were working in the same pub. We've both done hospitality, so we set up The Wilds community café together 5 years ago, and now we have 2 children and another on the way. We're normally open 7 days a week, but Dan usually takes a couple of days off, otherwise we'd never see him. So it was lovely for him to be able to be home with the children, and for us all to be able to go on hikes together.
"We've always been very involved in the community. We normally have so many workshops happening; we're part of the market outside, and we help do clean-ups of the local parks too. Now that things have opened up again, we're doing toddler-friendly evenings every Friday and Saturday night between 5pm and 7pm, so parents can come in with their children and not feel stressed that they might be disturbing people. Honestly, I don't know where last year went — it just flew by because we were so busy. We just wanted to help out any people who needed to be helped. It was all very moving actually. So many local people were volunteering to help. It was amazing to see people come together like that."
"We're always the first to be up and out on family holidays because we like to stay busy, and we were on furlough ourselves so we could afford to help others. In the beginning, we were laying out food and other essential household goods on tables at the front, so people could just help themselves to whatever they needed. Those who could afford it left donations, then with those we made hundreds of free meals — for Barnet Hospital, the Church, for Christmas, for the old and shielding — mostly in Chipping Barnet. Lots of people were helping us to deliver them.
I'm from Latvia, so I was doing lots of Zooms to keep in touch with my family there. I met Dan here when we were working in the same pub. We've both done hospitality, so we set up The Wilds community café together 5 years ago, and now we have 2 children and another on the way. We're normally open 7 days a week, but Dan usually takes a couple of days off, otherwise we'd never see him. So it was lovely for him to be able to be home with the children, and for us all to be able to go on hikes together.
"We've always been very involved in the community. We normally have so many workshops happening; we're part of the market outside, and we help do clean-ups of the local parks too. Now that things have opened up again, we're doing toddler-friendly evenings every Friday and Saturday night between 5pm and 7pm, so parents can come in with their children and not feel stressed that they might be disturbing people. Honestly, I don't know where last year went — it just flew by because we were so busy. We just wanted to help out any people who needed to be helped. It was all very moving actually. So many local people were volunteering to help. It was amazing to see people come together like that."
"We're always the first to be up and out on family holidays because we like to stay busy, and we were on furlough ourselves so we could afford to help others. In the beginning, we were laying out food and other essential household goods on tables at the front, so people could just help themselves to whatever they needed. Those who could afford it left donations, then with those we made hundreds of free meals — for Barnet Hospital, the Church, for Christmas, for the old and shielding — mostly in Chipping Barnet. Lots of people were helping us to deliver them.