Volunteering with Crisis at Christmas (6)
December 28th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
Yesterday (Tuesday) was the third and last of my shifts as a volunteer with the charity for the homeless Crisis at Christmas.
As I waited for the briefing to begin for the expected 170 volunteers, I spoke to two other volunteers: one guy who works in the travel sector and another doing a PhD in molecular chemistry. Since, by now, most volunteers had attended a briefing, the shift leader decided to jazz up the presentation of the instructions and messages. They were written down on four pieces of paper and the volunteers were divided into four groups, so that each group could role play the text on their paper and the other volunteers had to guess what was being communicated. Good fun.
For the guests, there were all the usual activities with singing and bingo proving popular and the film of the day being “Aliens”. Dinner, when it arrived, was gammon or ratatouille followed by bread pudding. But, on this shift, I barely got to talk to any guests and I did not serve dinner. Instead I had a lot of standing around outside and some sitting around inside.
So my first duty was to ‘guard’ a back entrance for vehicles. Absolutely nothing happened, but I got to wear a high visibility jacket and hold a walk talkie and to talk to my fellow volunteer. She was a recent English graduate now working in publishing, so we spent the time discussing novels. I was saddened to hear that her debts as a graduate are £35,000 which apparently is quite typical.
Next I had a so-called “gap duty” inside. A gap duty simply involves sitting in front of doors or desks or toilets making sure that the wrong people do not go to the wrong area. The way to survive gapping is yapping, and once again I had a young woman with whom to converse. She had worked with Crisis at Christmas as an 18 year old, when she was estranged from her family and – as she put it – “sofa surfing”. That was seven years ago and, since then, she had got her act together, re-established relations with her family, and obtained a degree in drama and dance.
We were visited by a full-time membar of staff from Crisis who wanted to know about our experience and views. Also one the homeless guests wanted us to sign his green goalkeeper’s shirt before he signs with the second team of a noted London football team. Another guest who engaged with us was a Dutch guy wearing a giant leprechaun hat. Sometimes Crisis at Christmas is surreal …
My final duty was another outdoor stint, this time on the main doors where I worked for a time on Christmas Day. Again there was little to do. Two guests – a white man and a black woman – who apparently were a couple stood a little way from us engaged in a ferocious argument that had something to do with the use by the man of the N word. I spoke to a Polish guest who ran a small business back in his home country but was really struggling to start a similar operation here.
As always, there were other fascinating and affable volunteers with whom to engage. One was a solicitor of a Greek Cypriot background who specialises in mental health law. We were lamenting the political horrors of 2016 and I was trying to put a favourable view on possibilities for 2017, but he he told me that he feared for “the whole direction of western society”.
On the this sombre note, my three seven-hour shifts with Crisis at Christmas 2016 came to an end. We did not solve homelessness; we did not change the world; but hopefully we made life a little better for a short period for people in real need. I met some wonderful people – both guests and volunteers – and found the experience satisfying and sobering. I will certainly remember it.
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Remembering George Michael in concert
December 27th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
The sad and premature death of singer/songwriter George Michael reminds me of when I saw him in concert. It was the first non-sports event at the new Wembley Stadium in London and the date was Sunday 10 June 2007.
I wondered why I could not find an account of the concert on this blog but, when I checked, I found that my blog was down for 10 days because of a massive spam attack. However, I was able to find a note on the event in my daily diary which I have maintained for over 50 years.
I recorded that “the venue was excellent and the singing brilliant” while overall “it was fun”. My favourite songs from the concert were “Careless Whisper” and “Freedom”. The ticket was £75.
2017 has been a tough year in so many ways.
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Volunteering with Crisis at Christmas (5)
December 26th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
Yesterday (Christmas Day) was the second of my three shifts as a volunteer with the charity for the homeless Crisis at Christmas. In London, there is no public transport on Christmas Day so, to reach my centre in the middle of town, I had to use my local cab company. This is staffed overwhelmingly by Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who are mostly Hindus so they do not celebrate Christmas. In fact, my particular driver into town was a Bangladeshi Muslim.
Once at the centre, I mingled with other volunteers as we waited for our briefing and duties. The volunteers are an eclectic bunch of wonderful people. I chatted to a young Canadian woman from Nova Scotia who works in the City as an insurance broker for rockets and satellites. I met a young Vietnamese woman who speaks fluent Romanian. The briefing was done by the shift leaders and, as last time, I was impressed at the energy and commitment of these people. You could hook them up to the National Grid and switch off a few power stations.
Outdoor duties are not necessarily the most popular, so I thought I should volunteer for one. Six of us – three men and three women – were allocated to the front doors of the centre to check if people coming in were volunteers (wearing a badge), registered guests (wearing a wrist band), or new guests (needing to be checked in). One of the volunteers was from Germany, another from New Zealand and a third from the Isle of Man (the only one of these ‘countries’ that I have not visited). The weather was surprisingly mild for Christmas Day and I was wrapped up, so it was fine.
The problem was that many of the volunteers took so seriously the injunction to “dress down” that it was not always easy to distinguish a volunteer from a guest and we had to ask to see the badge or wristband. Then, with the new guests, we were supposed to conduct something called “a verbal pat down” which meant establishing that the individual had no alcohol, drugs or weapons. I don’t think any of us quite worked out how we were meant to do this, so we just used our judgement.
One of the guests came out, working on his smartphone and was a bit upset that we had no WiFi. Another of the guests who came out for a smoke told me how the previous evening he had accompanied a friend to hospital because the friend – also homeless and on the streets – had had his faced bashed in. To my amazement, he dived into a satchel, pulled out an expensive-looking, lap top, and proceeded to show me a video of the two of them in the accident & emergency section of the hospital (his friend’s face was covered in blood and bruises). Then this guest told me that he was member of Anonymous – I always thought that members of this cyber-hacking group were, well, anonymous … He went on to announce that he was also a soothsayer …
After an hour and half on outdoor duties, I was brought inside to staff the entrance barriers together with the German volunteer. I had to click a counter every time someone entered the building and she had to do the same every time someone left. I suppose this was to assist with a body count in the case of an evacuation or fire, but I can assure you that our counting was not an exact science. I took the opportunity to have a long chat with one of the guests. He was about my age, very well-spoken, genuinely charming, and had managed a moderately successful career as a technical designer – but his life story and health issues were tragic. He fled from his home as a teenager to escape an abusive father, had never married, had looked after his mother as she was slowly killed by dementia, had many acquaintances but no real friends. He was seriously obese and suffered from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and fluid retention and he could only walk by pushing his wheelchair.
Meanwhile all sorts of other activities were going on for the entertainment or support of the guests, including sewing, manicuring, computing, carol singing, addiction advice, natural healing (whatever that is), and even a showing of “Star War VII: The Force Awakens”.
After two and a half hours on my feet constantly, I took a short break before volunteering – as I did on my first shift – to serve dinner. I really enjoyed this because it was so satisfying, but it took longer (two hours) and was even more intense than last time because Christmas dinner involved so many items. For most guests, it was turkey, pork, stuffing, gravy, potatoes, carrots, parsnips and of course sprouts. For the vegetarians, it was a butternut squash dish or a vegetarian chilli. Dessert was Christmas pudding, mince pies and cup cakes. One of my tables had a bunch of Poles on it and they were delighted when I offered a few phrases in Polish.
Dinner time at the Crisis centres is quite an occasion. Most guests are polite and appreciative, but some become quite agitated, complaining that they are not being served quickly enough or later that some others or should be allowed to serve themselves. It’s actually a miracle that hundreds of hot and nourishing meals are cooked and served so quickly and efficiently.
I made myself an omelette before leaving home and took to the centre a couple of cakes and apples. That was enough for me. I love a traditional Christmas meal, but missing it was massively compensated by the amazing comaraderie at the centre.
My cab ride home arrived for me before the debrief was complete, so I don’t have any statistics for this shift, except one which I picked up later: 628 meals were served at the centre on Christmas Day. Whereas normally I can reach central London for free on the bus and tube because I have a Freedom Pass, this time I had to pay – with tips – £70 for my travel. But it was worth every penny.
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Nine ways to find happiness
December 25th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
I’ve just finished reading a book titled “Happiness By Design” which lists nine features which enhance life satisfaction. You can check out my review and the nine factors here.
And a Merry Christmas to you!
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Volunteering with Crisis at Christmas (4)
December 24th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
I have become a volunteer for the first time in my 68 years. I am doing three shifts with the charity for the homeless Crisis at Christmas. I am working on 23, 25 & 27 December and have deliberately given myself a day off between each shift to recover physically and emotionally. My shifts run from 3-10 pm because I don’t like getting up too early in the morning. Crisis do not want us to specify the location of the centre (it was in central London) or the identity of the guests, but I would like to share some general information and impressions on my experience and I know that family and friends – and indeed Crisis itself – are keen that I should do so.
Yesterday I performed my first shift. We were advised at our prior induction to “dress warmly, dress down and dress modestly”. So I wore brown clothes with worn cord trousers and a jumper that has seen better days. Plus I left my Apple watch at home and kept my iPhone hidden. All the volunteers are given badges with different colours and letters indicating roles (I am just a general worker) and carrying first names. All the guests have coloured wrist bands, depending on whether they have simply checked in for the day or have been allocated nighttime accommodation.
Like all shifts, we began with a briefing reminding us of the rules – no alcohol, no drugs, no violence, no giving of money, no giving of contact details – and how to behave. Most of the volunteers were younger than me, many typically in their 30s. There was a pretty even mix of men and women and one male-to-female transgender colleague. The ethnic mix reflected the cosmopolitan nature of London and I found myself sitting between two young women of Chinese ethnicity and later met volunteers everywhere from India to Columbia. Volunteers work in pairs or teams, so you are never alone.
The afternoon was a quiet time. I volunteered to staff the games room with a volunteer who was a recently retired nurse originally from Ireland. In fact, there were few games in the room and few visitors to it. Most of those who visited simply wanted a quiet area to relax. However, I made a point of talking to each visitor to the area. I met a guy from Lithuania and used my two phrases of Lithuanian; I chatted to another guy of Turkish descent and used my two phrases of Turkish; I engaged with an Irishman (I stuck to English this time). I helped one guest with a crossword and I (accidentally) beat another in a game of chess.
The evening was much, much busier. I volunteered to serve dinner to the guests. The floor was divided up between four teams and each team had a spotter who indicated who should be served next and what they should be served. The non-vegetarians (very much the majority) were given chicken, potatoes and carrots, while the vegetarians had macaroni cheese. Dessert was fruit salad or rhubarb crumble. It was an incredibly intense – but satisfying – hour and half, serving food, then collecting plates and dishes, and finally cleaning up. I came across a bunch of Italian guys and used a few Italian phrases with them which they liked. The guests were calm and appreciative. Just a couple were a bit stroppy and I was firm but polite with them.
All shifts finish with a debrief. Crisis likes statistics (it encourages the donors) and so do I. We were informed that, in the course of the day (the first of this year’s Crisis at Christmas), this particular centre had around 150 volunteers (30 failed to turn up), about 400 visitors came along at some point, and just over 500 meals were served. Volunteers were encouraged to bring their own food, but I didn’t bother and I was not really hungry at the time (I went to a McDonald’s afterwards). Coffee and tea are available to the volunteers at all times, but I only had one coffee in the seven hours because I was so preoccupied.
Surprisingly, I was less impacted by the shift at the time than afterwards. At night, I did not sleep as well as I normally do. My mind was buzzing and I felt as I do when I am jet lagged. The experience was so worthwhile and so humbling. I’ll be back tomorrow (Christmas Day).
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A review of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”
December 23rd, 2016 by Roger Darlington
The eighth “Star Wars” film is the first stand-alone one but fits very neatly in between III and IV. As a 68 year old, I enjoyed it as much as my nine year old companion. It is a Christmas cracker of a movie which I have reviewed here.
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How can the consumer voice be better heard in the regulation of essential services? – 15 videos with some answers
December 22nd, 2016 by Roger Darlington
I have previously blogged about a major conference at the BT Tower which I chaired on 2 November 2016. The event was organised by the Essential Services Access Network (ESAN), which I chair, and the theme was “How can the consumer voice be better heard in the regulation of essential services?”
The various speakers discussed different models of consumer representation and different methodologies for finding out what consumers think and we had practical examples from the water, energy, communications, financial services, and transport sectors..
The whole conference was recorded and we have now put video clips of most of the actual presentations – each just 10 minutes – on the ESAN web site. You can access the presentations, starting with a short introduction from me, here.
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Volunteering with Crisis at Christmas (3)
December 21st, 2016 by Roger Darlington
This year, I am going to be a volunteer with the charity for the homeless Crisis at Christmas.
At the induction session for new volunteers, we were given some background information on the causes of homelessness:
- The lack of housing overall
- The lack of affordable housing
- The loss of a tenancy
- Lacking work and/or skills
- In work, but low pay and/or hours
- Breakdown of a relationship
- Leaving prison or care
So why do the homeless come to a centre run by Crisis at Christmas?
- Companionship – someone to talk to
- Safety – somewhere they will not be harassed
- Food – warm and nourishing
- Sleep – warm and safe
- Medical services such as dentistry and podiatry
- ‘Feel good’ services such as massage and entertainment
And who are the guests? Based on last year’s statistics:
- 84% are male
- The age range is 18-93
- The average age is 46
- The top three nationalities are British (about half), Polish and Romanian
- They are not all rough sleepers but include the ‘hidden homeless’ from squats and so on
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Volunteering with Crisis at Christmas (2)
December 20th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
This year, I am going to be a volunteer with the charity for the homeless Crisis at Christmas. At the induction session for new volunteers, we were given some background information on the scale and nature of homelessness.
- Some 60% of the homeless say that they are lonely.
- Some 70% of the homeless say that they feel invisible.
- Someone who is homeless is 17 times more likely than the general public to be the subject of violence, sadly often from members of the public.
- The average life expectancy of a homeless person is just 47.
- One in four homeless people spend Christmas alone.
- Over the last six years, the scale of homelessness has increased.
- In the last year alone, rough sleeping has increased by around 50% in England with around 8,000 in London spending at least one night on the streets.
- It is estimated that in England there are around 250,00o people who are homeless or have no permanent place to live (using squats, hostels or friends).
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Volunteering with Crisis at Christmas (1)
December 19th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
For the first time in my life, I am about to become a volunteer. I have been accepted to do three shifts with the charity for the homeless Crisis at Christmas. Since this is my first time, at the weekend I attended a two-hour New Volunteers Induction Session at the Bloomsbury Baptist Central Church in central London.
It was a really good session. The four presenters – who between them had 54 such experiences – explained exactly what was involved and what we would have to do. They constantly changed speaking roles and used a mixture of slides, video clips, and role play to put over the information. As we left, we were given a Volunteer Handbook summarising the key points.
The organisation was founded in 1967 following the reaction to the Ken Loach film “Cathy Come Home”, so next year they will be marking 50 years of campaigning about homelessness and supporting the homeless. The first Crisis at Christmas was held in 1971 so this will be the 46th. This year, across London, Birmingham, Coventry, Newcastle and Edinburgh, some 13,000 volunteers – around half of them doing it for the first time – will be working in the various centres over the festive season.
The largest operation by far will be in London. Some 11,000 volunteers will be working in 10 centres and they are expected to support around 4,000 individual guests – the term used for the homeless visitors – who between them will make over 10,000 visits.
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