Nigel's story
After retiring in his early 60s, Nigel embarked on a life of creativity. With no plans of slowing down when he stopped working, he produced a music album and published a book of poetry, but by 2016 the needs of his local community came calling. What began as a part-time project, the Lincolnshire Food Partnership has now grown to become his full-time focus. Connecting 50 food banks and 90+ community projects, Nigel joins a small team of volunteers in distributing food parcels and promoting the value of good food across the county.
Making a difference in the community
As a former academic, Nigel spent his working life teaching and researching. “Now I’m actually DOING something. My research area had been in the food system – from growing to eating. I knew there was plenty that needed changing. And with a good pension I could get on with it.”
When COVID hit, the organisation took on a new role: “In the short term, we’ve put all of our efforts into reducing food poverty. Through emergency government funding, the County Council asked the Food Partnership to lead in the distribution of food packages. It was a good sign that we were doing the right kind of work. We took on the allocation of that government funding by working closely with all of our food banks and suppliers, including supermarkets, so that parcels could be distributed to people in need.”
As part of Nigel’s commitment to food education, sustainability and the eradication of food poverty, the Partnership is working to develop Care Farming, Social Farms and community gardens.
He explains: “The community gardens give us a chance to get our hands dirty, make new friends and enjoy the communion of a meal that we’ve grown together. It’s both physically and mentally restorative. This is our main focus for the long-term – we want many more people to be actively involved in them, and to reap the benefits.”
Looking after yourself in retirement
Given Nigel’s passion for food, naturally his advice for anyone approaching retirement is to focus on their health and diet. Aside from looking after yourself physically, it’s important to look after your mental health too: “Retirement isn’t always a joyous journey. When my brother retired, he lived for his job, and without it he had no identity. He was lost, and sadly took his own life. I’ve known many others in similar situations, unable to think of anything to do in retirement. Somehow they just ebb away. When it was my turn, maybe in deference to my brother, I resolved to have a retirement that would make a difference.”
