Charlotte Inkle is a living example of Mansfield’s strong community spirit.
It all began during the Covid pandemic. Charlotte and some friends on the Bellamy Estate decided to decorate the area for Christmas, to cheer up children who were missing out on festive fun because of lockdown.
Local people found out and starting donating. In the end, more than £700 was raised to install Christmas lights in trees across the estate.
The Friends of Bellamy group was born, with Charlotte as its chair. Now it runs a wide range of activities, including monthly bingo, Easter and Halloween parties. More than 350 people attended a community party for the coronation of King Charles.
At Christmas, the Friends of Bellamy buys tickets for the panto at Mansfield’s Palace Theatre and provides them to local families at a massively reduced price – along with goodie bags so people don’t have to spend more on sweets and drinks at the show.
Charlotte is keen to point out that the Friends of Bellamy is a shared enterprise by residents who want to do the best for their community. “We get thank-yous and lovely feedback all the time. I love helping people, but it isn’t just me. We have a whole group of friends working very hard.
“The activities help with mental wellbeing. People say to us that they’d be sitting at home on their own otherwise, or where was previously nothing for their children to do. Little things are making a big difference.”
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