 What was the purpose of the snack lunches?
They were started before my time by Tom Campbell and a band of enthusiastic volunteers. My understanding is that the lunches were originally set up as outreach work from the church. We wanted to provide a welcoming presence in the town centre and to raise funds to support charities.
In what ways do you think the lunches serve that purpose?The lunches are at the forefront of the church, bringing together people from all walks of life, both as customers and volunteers. We have many regular customers some of whom also go to the Lunch Club on a Wednesday. Customers are often attracted because they know that the helpers will listen and will offer a sympathetic ear. We now call the lunches The M’eating Place on the suggestion of a volunteer and that really sums up what we are about.
And what about the food on offer?The customers really enjoy the food, particularly the soup and it is all priced very reasonably. There is a standard menu which has dishes which are on offer every day as well as daily specials, such as stovies. The teams decide on their own "specials" which are listed on the blackboard. Some of the customers have been so impressed that they have taken the menus away to show to their own churches.
How is it all organised?The teams in place each day work with Ann, who is the paid Supervisor and is responsible for ensuring the hygiene regulations are met and maintaining continuity between the teams. We have to ensure that we are in line with the current framework for food delivery and that is Ann’s responsibility. It is also crucial to have someone there every day, working with all the teams and making sure that there is continuity between the days and a link with all the volunteers.
Ann also enjoys being creative with food (as indeed do some of the volunteers) which has enabled us to bring in more customers.
And how successful is the fundraising aspect?This year we will donate £8000 to the Church and £4000 to four charities from the profits from the lunches. The volunteers will shortly nominate the charities for 2008.
Do volunteers have to come in at set times and days?We should be grateful to all the different volunteers who support the snack lunches especially the regular volunteers who come in once a week, once a fortnight or even twice a week! The volunteers - those who provide occasional help, such as cover in the school holidays, and those we can call on in the morning if we need emergency help - are also very essential. We even have one person who gives up some of her four weeks annual leave from work, in order to help at the snack lunches. It would be good to have more names on the back up list for when regular volunteers can’t make it. Most are there for the full period from 10.30am to 2.30pm, whilst others do just a couple of hours, perhaps 12.00 to 2.30pm or 10.30am to 12.00. The lunches are open from 12noon to 2pm, but work goes on outwith this period, and we also need help with preparation and cleaning up. It would be really good if we had more volunteers who felt motivated to come in earlier, say 9.30am, and help make the soup, or come in later, say 1.30pm, and help with the tidying up.
Where do the volunteers come from?Some of our original volunteers who started 12 years ago are still with us, whilst others who helped set up the structure and keep it going have had to leave. We have a wide range of volunteers; two of them were customers, who volunteered after having lunch one day, and we now also have volunteers from Christ Church and Erskine. We also had three young people from school who helped during the winter as part of their charity work, and more recently two young people helped during the school holidays.
Do the volunteers all meet together?Yes! We come together for discussion nights, and we also have social events, including a Christmas night out.
What do the volunteers get from it?Some of our volunteers are church members and some are not. Some volunteers enjoy lending a sympathetic ear; some enjoy the social part of working with others; and some enjoy being creative with food. More recently we have had some volunteers who have been working on making the hall look more inviting and welcoming.
How would you sum up what the snack lunches mean for the church?The M’eating Place is open every weekday encouraging and inviting people into the church. Without the lunches we would lose somewhere for people to go; people who have built relationships with the volunteers and who understand that when under emotional stress they will find a sympathetic ear at The M’eating Place. This is an invaluable way for people to see the church’s presence in the middle of Falkirk.
If you would like to find out more about volunteering
at
The M’eating Place
call in any day
and meet Ann and the volunteers on duty
or
call Joyce on 01324 622932
|
