Cooking for CENS
Last night the TIF team spent the evening at CENS (Colchester Engagement & Next Steps), the homeless shelter on Alexandra Road, donating and cooking dinner for the residents for a second year. Last time we crafted a traditional Christmas roast, so we thought provide a taste of Italy this year; homemade lasagna!
This is becoming a tradition for us, and I’m glad it is. CENS has been running for nearly 40 years supporting people who’ve found themselves homeless, and they’re busier than ever. We support a variety of charities in Colchester with donations and engagement – but there’s something different about actually showing up and giving your time. The team spent the evening prepping food, serving dinner, cleaning up, chatting with the staff and residents – just being present, and helping out.
We spend every days being creative, building websites, running marketing campaigns, solving client problems… important work, but it’s easy to get caught in that bubble. Being at CENS, seeing the wraparound support they provide, the dignity they give people who are going through tough times, that’s really meaningful.
I’ve lived in Colchester all of my life. I chair a local Sea Scouts group, I spend as much time as I can in the community – I genuinely believe that if you’re running a business somewhere, you’ve got a responsibility to that place. Not for the Instagram post or CSR box-ticking, because it’s the right thing to do.
CENS helps hundreds of people get back on their feet every year. They’re dealing with mental health challenges, addiction, people who’ve just had everything fall apart. And they’re doing it with limited resources in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis that’s making everything harder.
Honestly, I’m proud the team gave up their evening to be there, and we’re not done with CENS. We’ll keep supporting them, whether that’s more practical help, donations, or helping them tell their story. They’ve got an Amazon wishlist of essential items they need – everything from toiletries to food staples. If you want to help out in a practical way, that’s a good place to start.
Do something for your local community.
