My Yard, situated on Grange Farm Estate in South Harrow, works with the local community. Providing sub-community support through music dance and yoga workshops, holding monthly events for residents.

Once the Covid-19 crisis took hold, Rachel Diamond, Director of My Yard, quickly realised many of Harrow’s residents were “dropping through the net”. Such as single parents, the elderly, families with disabilities and carers.

Faced with filling in forms online to access help, this became a worry and an understandable source of concern for these residents. Many have specific care and dietary needs, such as Amy, a 25-year-old mother with an autistic daughter, who is also gluten intolerant.

My Yard rapidly adapted during these turbulent times to help the local community and surrounding areas. They utilised their WhatsApp group for communicating, befriending and supporting residents like Amy, such as access to food. Additionally, they coordinated generous offers from local businesses and other charity partners using a team of volunteers and bringing communities together to support each other.

A brilliant army of volunteers is now delivering fresh ready meals and a food parcel every week to those unable to access help online or are shielding. Such as Sonia, who suffers from asthma ad looks after her father with dementia.

With the help of a grant from Harrow Giving, My Yard employed two part-time Project Managers to help the admin, purchase vital PPE and cool boxes to transport freshly made ready meals.

Rachel was delighted to receive this grant from Harrow Giving and has proactively gone further to purchase a refrigerated van to deliver fresh smoothies to the elderly and vulnerable in local nursing and care homes.