Paola De Paola Photography - part of our Community with a Heart

"I wanted to focus on the positivity and strength of local families"

In May 2020, during the first national lockdown, Wimbledon Guild were contacted by Paola from Paola De Paola Photography, a wedding, family, and portrait photographer based in Wimbledon, who wanted to raise money to support our work.

In the weeks and months that followed, Paola raised over £1,100 for Wimbledon Guild through her 'On My Doorstep' project, capturing what lockdown life was like for local families. Paola really is part of our Community with a Heart and we're grateful for her support.

We spoke to her about the project:

"At the beginning of May 2020, during the strictest COVID-19 lockdown, I really wanted to do something to help. 

I came up with the idea of fundraising for a local charity. I chose Wimbledon Guild for many reasons - many of my friends have reached out to them in moments of need, receiving great support and help.

It's a local charity and I know how active they are in the neighbourhood. It was only when I spoke to Adele from the charity that I realised how kind and supportive Wimbledon Guild really is.

I called my fundraising photographic project ‘On My Doorstep’ because with the COVID-19 restrictions it was the only way to photograph residents safely in my neighbourhood. I decided to focus on my neighbours because I felt the need to record what was happening around me and I wanted to focus on the positivity and strength of the local families.

I will treasure the memory of cycling around my neighbourhood photographing residents on their doorsteps forever. 

These pictures are my way to say thank you. Thank you to the NHS and essential workers. This extraordinary time has taught me to respect and treasure what is most important for me - my family, nature, humanity, respect of others, kindness and community. 

My fundraising photography project raised over £1,100 and I could not have done it without Wimbledon Guild's support and guidance. A special mention to Adele, who helped me when I most needed and I’m so grateful that our paths crossed.

There is so much more I would like to share of this project, but words can’t express how intense this experience has been for me. I believe my pictures have a much stronger voice." 

Thank you to Paola for all your support, and to everyone who’s shown Merton really is a community with a heart during the pandemic. 

With your continuing support we can help those in our community experiencing loneliness, mental health problems, food poverty and financial instability as a result of the pandemic. 

Please donate what you can to our Community with a Heart Appeal

Donate

Image credit: Paola De Paola Photography, 2020