A community café that fed thousands during the Covid pandemic is calling on Londoners to help as it fights to stay open. Allotments , in Friern Barnet, needs to urgently raise £5k after struggling to cope with rising costs and a significant decrease in footfall in recent months. Primarily a charitable venture, the colourful venue reinvests its profits into providing free hot meals for vulnerable people across Barnet and Haringey.
They also teach young people how to cook Caribbean food, garden and work in a professional kitchen in the hopes of providing them future employment. Owner Nigeal Andall now worries North London would be losing something far greater than his cooking. He said: "Allotments brings diversity, inclusion, and social mobility.
It's one of the only places in Friern Barnet that bridges the gap between every community. We have every race, every creed visit - it's a place where they can have a voice. "You can feel the vibrant DNA, the love that comes with the space we have created.
Regardless of background, everyone has space to exist here." Nigel started Allotments alongside social action group, the North London Community Consortium, during lockdown in 2020. Inspired by the efforts seen during the Grenfell disaster, the ex-Met Police officer soon found himself in charge of 175 volunteers.
At its peak, they handed out over 20,000 dinners a month and were hailed a 'lifeline' for many. This initiative continues but the café now also focusses on engagement thr.
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