Debbie Twitchen tells us about her work on behalf of the community with local residents and the Landport Foodbank.
What do you do? I’m Chair of the Tenants of Lewes District (TOLD) which represents all the tenants and leaseholders of Lewes District Council. We sort out problems and complaints and provide scrutiny of housing services. I’m also chair of Landport Residents Association, which runs Landport Foodbank. I’ve been running the foodbank since 2012, but COVID has really tested us. We’ve had many, many more clients during lockdown. At one point, we were supporting 51 households. That’s decreasing now as people go back to work, but we’re still helping 17 families and 19 single people.
Landport Residents Association also runs an annual barbeque and projects to plant trees and wildflowers. The Association also supports the supports the Landport Community Cafe run by Emily Clarke. We’re very community-minded. I’m also chair of Landport Community hub in Landport Road. We bought our building with a loan from the council and are currently renovating it. We’re home to Pippa’s Group nursery and the Dance Academy.
What do love about your role? I’ve always been very community-minded. I like to try to help people, to give joy. Some people in our community are living in abject poverty. We have a community litter pick and it’s great to do something together. I try to help people in whatever small way I can. It keeps me sane because I suffer from disabling medical conditions. I can’t have a full-time job, but this gives me a goal and makes me feel I’m putting back into the community.
Which women have inspired you? I was incredibly inspired by my grandmother who would give anything to anybody and had a real sense of community. It’s where I got my feeling for community. I’ve also worked for people who have had a rough time (for example, with physical conditions), but were inspiring. One of these was Lillian Sargent who re-categorised Kings College Hospital library. She was inspiring, gentle, lovely. I’ve not really been inspired by famous people. It’s more the people that I know, that I see.
Why is community important? Because human beings are social creatures. Without community, the whole fabric of society falls apart. COVID has either reinforced that sense of community or sowed division depending on who you are. Some of the most vulnerable have been isolated. On the other hand, the Lewes Coronavirus Volunteers and the foodbanks are good examples of community spirit that has brought people together to support each other.
What would you change about Lewes? Most of the time I’m working with people who can’t afford to take advantage of the town’s shops, classes and cafes – people who never get to see the nice side of Lewes. I’ve lived here for 28 years and it has changed and become more polarised. Maybe new arrivals are less interested in community spirit. House prices are ridiculous, people have to move out and away from family security. While the arts side has expanded, it has left people behind. We’ve lost shops that sell practical things like a tea-towel for £2.99. Charity shops are overpriced and out of ordinary people’s range.
We need to be tapping into what matters for people in ways that they can get involved. We run litter picking events, wildflower planting, Easter egg hunts, cake decorating – all for free. Lewes District Council should focus on what it can do for the poorer members of our community, including the fun stuff.
What do you like about Lewes? It’s a beautiful town with fantastic buildings. There isn’t a day I don’t wake up and thank God for how lucky I am to be surrounded by countryside and to see my garden. The Downs are fantastic for letting you separate yourself from the world for a while. The people generally are really lovely. They’re very friendly and want to help. I love Bonfire and I always go for the sense of the spectacular and occasion. Lewes also has a really good local hospital (the newly renovated Victoria Hospital) and lovely clubs and societies. I think Lewes has a good heart.
Read more: Food Banks – Debbie Twitchen. Debbie also features in the free touring exhibition Picture Britain: Our People, Our Poverty
Top photo: Landport Road, Lewes, © Nick MacNeill, CC BY-SA 2.0
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