Fuddland

Over the Christmas week I’m volunteering for Crisis, the London-based charity for homeless people. Their work carries on year-round, but they are probably most famous for the Crisis Open Christmas scheme, started nearly forty years ago, which provides shelter, hot meals, showers, entertainment, health checks, advice, skills workshops, and simple companionship, all completely free of charge, to any of London’s homeless [and the so-called “hidden homeless” — people not neccessarily sleeping rough on the streets, but in hostels, on friends’ floors, in Bed & Breakfasts, who face the same problems with finding work and enough money to get by].

Yesterday I attended one of the several induction sessions Crisis run in the lead-up to the week, pleasantly surprised to see every seat filled. As a general volunteer I’ll be given a variety of tasks, including making tea, serving food, cleaning up, guarding no-go areas, and the thing that the coordinators have emphasised as the most important duty of all: talking to the guests. Designated to work at the main shelter [this year at the London Arena in Docklands] I was assigned my shifts a few days ago, and I’m on the night-shift, 10:15pm–8:30am, for five of the seven nights that COC runs.

Crisis can never have too many volunteers, and there is still time to offer your services [people with a skill or trade are particularly useful], so if you are interested in helping out, learn more from the Crisis website, or simply turn up at one of the remaining induction sessions:

Tuesday December 13th 2005 6.45pm–8.45pm

Abbey Community Centre, 34 Great Smith Street, London NW1P 3BU

(Nearest tube St James’ Park and Westminster)

Saturday 17th December 2005 10.30am–12:30pm

Park Crescent Conference Centre (international students house), 229 Great Portland Street, London W1

(Nearest tubes Gt. Portland Street and Regents Park)

Saturday 17th December 2005 2.00pm–4:00pm

Park Crescent Conference Centre (international students house), 229 Great Portland Street, London W1

(Nearest tubes Gt. Portland Street and Regents Park)

The following is an entry which follows on from the above:

1. Nightowl [Fuddland]. Excerpt: In preparation for my nightshift duties at the Crisis shelter, I'm staying up as late as I can manage tonight, to begin shifting my bodyclock towards the nocturnal mode of life. Having never done anything like this before, I'm unsure...

#1

Blue Witch | 2005 / 12 / 15 – 15:23

I’m sure you’ll have a great time.

I worked for them for two of my three FOTCR™’s in London as a student, 20-odd years ago now. I think that my experiences then have shaped my attitude to the whole over-commercialisation now.

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