MP visits charity supporting underprivileged families during coronavirus crisis

By Charlie Parry

Providing 5,000 underprivileged families with support throughout the coronavirus lockdown has earned a small charity a visit from their local MP.

Helen Hayes, MP for Lambeth, joined COPEF Training Skills (CTS) at its offices in Clarewood Walk in Brixton last Friday to see how its outreach helped the vulnerable during lockdown.

CTS set up contact points, or “African Emergency Hubs” throughout London to assist minority and disadvantaged groups in finding emergency shelter, food, and health services.

Data released by the Office of National Statistics found that the risk of death and unemployment due to coronavirus is much higher amongst Black African and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities.

Makana M. Kitiaka, chief executive of CTS, notices this reality every day.

She said: “Many families, children, and people from BAME and other local communities suffer the most under the present lockdown with job loss, loss of income, untold sufferings, and dire disadvantages, more mental and physical issues, unprecedented poverty, etc.

“This culminates in the high rate of death during this pandemic.”