The excitement grows at Accumul8 HQ as we get our first bit of press in the Haringey Independent.  Here it is!

Chutney changes lives of homeless YMCA residents

12:10pm Tuesday 13th May 2014 in NewsBy Aime Williams, Reporter

A new initiative is teaching residents at North London’s YMCA the art of making chutneys and jams.

Marice Cumber, of Crouch End, was asked by NLYMCA to help hostel residents break into the creative industries, but realized that she’d have to raise funds.

With others, she formed the group Accumul8, and aimed to raise cash by starting a creative business.

The resulting Moroccan apple and date chutney, apple pie jam and quince jam have proven a hit at the Crouch end Festival, with one record-breaking month seeing 300 jars sold at £5 each.

“Crouch End is such a foodie area, I thought jams and chutney would sell. I had to come up with a product and I wanted it to be different to what you can already get in Tesco’s or Sainsbury’s. We had to come up with some special flavours.

“I did a bit of a shout out to the local community and asked if they could give us their surplus food, and they just got really, really into it. There’ve been bags of stuff; I’ve had quinces, I’ve had tomatoes – it wasn’t just the surplus food. There were huge amounts. There was an interest in engaging with the hostel.

“We live in one of the wealthier parts of the borough. I think it’s a real shame, we’re in Crouch End with all these coffee shops and there are these people living in a hostel on our doorstep, and we’re not really engaging with them. I think from both ways it’s a real learning curve. This is a privileged community, and we can use our skills to help.”

The group started off making jam in the kitchen of the Holy Innocent’s Church, before moving the YMCA’s kitchen.

Shaun Ashley, a YMCA resident who is now supporting housing officer, has worked on the jam project since its inception.

He said: “Basically, we wanted to get money for creative projects and I was glad to be doing something to generate money.

“I’ve never made jam before getting into this. Making the jams is interesting, when you first make it you taste it so you know it’s going to be sweet, but it’s not jam at that point. It’s llike iquid. After a while it tastes totally different.

“The most rewarding stage is the last one when it actually looks like jam. It’s actually something that you’ve made. The first jam I made – I was elated.

“It’s helped my life along. I’m much happier now. Although I was happy during all the jam-making, too.”

The group hope to sell their jams and chutneys in cafes across Crouch End.

A joyous day was had at Accumul8 HQ when we received the very welcome news that we had been awarded funding for the Accumul8 photography exhibition by Arts Council England. This is great news and means that we can pay for professional printing and framing of the residents’ photographs and even have some money left over for some wine and nibbles at the private view. Result!

People in the local community of Crouch End are so supportive of Accumul8, from giving apples and fruit for the residents to make chutneys and jams, purchasing the product and giving their time to help the project succeed and reach its goals. Sometimes, you just need a “way in”, or a project that connects, to find the missing links that create positive change in the world around you. I hope Accumul8 does that.

This week, photographer Neil Martinson gave his time (Thank you Neil) and came to the North London YMCA to set up a pop-up portrait photography studio in the hostel canteen for a photography workshop. The idea was that the residents of the hostel would take portrait photographs of each other, in familiar surroundings, and get a taste of the medium of photography. Our aim was to use this “one-off” taster photography session to see what interest and take – up we got and then, if successful, to plan some more. Our goal was to get 8 people to take part in the workshop.

The day started at 10am with just three people. But those three people became the voices of why this was fun and good thing to be involved with, they told their fellow residents to join them, they knocked on doors and told people to come down and they, most brilliantly, helped plan and co-ordinate the day. By the end of the day, seventeen hostel residents took part in the activity – which is just over double our target!

The residents learnt how to use different cameras, about lighting and shadow, how to frame a picture, designing the background set and how to get the best out of a portrait photograph. They took photographs, modelled and styled for the session. It was a really successful experience for everyone and what is great is that the residents want more, so now we are responding to this and busy planning a series of photography sessions at the hostel. The photographic work that they eventually produce through this will form part of their exhibition for The Crouch End Festival.

Talking of exhibitions and The Crouch End Festival, we are very proud to say that Accumul8’s photographs will now be exhibited at Hot Pepper Jelly Cafe in Crouch End during the time of the festival (6th to 18th June) and then, afterwards, at the New North London Synagogue (who have funded Accumul8). So Accumul8 now has a touring exhibition – and we have only just started!

And finally, to top off a really good week, we now have a central Crouch End stockist of the Accumul8 chutneys and jams. Yes, the empire is growing! Tootoomoo on Crouch Hill – the well-loved Pan Asian restaurant has a local “market place” which now sells the world-renowned Accumul8 apple and ginger chutney, the tangy apple, lemon and chilli chutney and the sophisticated apple, rosewater and cardamom jam. Thankyou Vikki for making the link!

So, this week was a testament to the power of the community to help and support each other and make good things happen. Thankyou to everyone – it’s been great! And here are some of the Accumul8 attendees first attempts at portrait photography – I hope you enjoy them, Marice.