By Monica Chard
If you have not yet heard of this fabulous community initiative, please form an orderly queue!
Friends Amy Andrews and Kim Faye found themselves furloughed in lockdown looking for a project which would brighten the community, as well as raise some much needed funds for local charities. The idea of creating a chronicle of families in lockdown was born. Kim’s husband Steve was enlisted to take photos and Amy and Kim took on organising. The call went out on Friends of Shepperton for families who were isolating to have their photos taken. Lately they have also included the businesses who remain open and this has proved very popular too. This will provide a snapshot of a unique moment in local history. The criteria was that the photo had to be taken on the doorstep of their homes or business and that the photographer would respect self distancing rules
Families and businesses are then provided with a digital copy of the picture and in return are asked for a donation towards our local food bank ‘Bags of Food’ run by Jubilee Church. (The team are not affiliated to the church but support their food bank work).
To date over 150 photographs of residents and businesses have been taken. The youngest participant in the project is Bluebell who was born just before lockdown but due to complications was not home until lockdown began, the photograph taken was in fact the first opportunity the family had to have a group photo. The oldest resident so far is 86 but the team are appealing for more of our elderly residents to get in touch. So don’t be shy!
The long term aim is to make a book as well as an exhibition when the time is right. For more information or to book a time for one of our photographers to come to you, please contact Amy and Kim on sheppertondoorsteps@gmail.com.
Donations can be made either online by searching the projects name ‘Shepperton Lockdown Doorsteps’ on Just giving (https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sheppertonlockdowndoorsteps) or by taking in date food and toiletries to Jubilee church on Manygate Lane (on week days only), where you will find a box in the porch for donations to be placed.
As the project has expanded, so has the team of photographers. There are now three, all local: Julia Nekhaenko from Julia Mustard Photography, Stephen Andrews (stephenandrewsphotography.com) and Hetty Quirke (www.hettyquirke.com).