“We have spent five years trying to upskill people, growing food, cooking food, distributing food – and what I have discovered is that we’re not there yet, we’re not able to coordinate this effort, and this is a stark trial run for climate change. 

“What I have seen is that community businesses that could be part of this effort fall by the wayside. A food coop that was distributing to 200 homes folded a month before the crisis. That should be the kind of thing that is able to be more sustainable. All of these issues that are arising that are becoming more important because of this crisis.

“What we are doing is based on goodwill and trust initially and that is built through connections. But people need to be supported. If we can hold onto people past this to deliver food and to start to address other community needs then we’re more prepared for the impact of any future crisis.

“That’s where this mutual aid network comes in.

"Without talking to one another we cannot hope to coordinate the work that we're doing, to be sustainable, to make systemic change." [tweet this]

“We need these calls more now than ever.”

Paulette Singer is a co-founder of Clitterhouse Farm Project was founded in early 2013 by local residents to save historic farm buildings on Cricklewood Farm in Barnet, North London.