ASLAN
Best Practice Guide: Entertainments
This guide is intended to
standardise procedures across all teams so that each team is providing a
similar service. It can be used as a
checklist for team leaders. These guidelines
should be read alongside the Clubhouse guidance notes for ASLAN and ASLAN’s own
‘Do’s and Don’ts’.
Invitations are handed out
as follows:
·
14 on the Tea Run
(Saturday morning one week before)
·
10 at The Passage
(Saturday morning one week before)
·
16 at All Souls (Monday
morning five days before)
·
8+ (will grow over
time) to individual Visiting Scheme members
Point out to guests that
they can only come if they have an invitation. This is an absolute rule – we
want to create a warm, homely atmosphere, not just another mass feeding
exercise (of which there are more than enough already). People who hand out invitations should keep
a record of names of people who have been invited and send to the Entertainment
Team leader.
Saturday p.m. (at Clubhouse):
Leaders are to arrive at
5.00 p.m. at the Clubhouse. Ask
volunteers to arrive no later than 5.30 p.m. Volunteers to tick off name on
Volunteers List when they arrive. On video afternoons, leaders plus one or two
volunteers need to arrive earlier (time will vary according to length of film,
but approximately 3.00-4.00 p.m.)
Prior to arriving, leaders
will need to have bought enough food for approximately 60 guests for the
evening meal (47+ guests plus extra portions for 10 to 15 seconds or for
volunteers). Also bring tea towels/J
cloths, music tapes.
Leaders to put up notices
outside of building showing guests where to enter building. Group prayer to take place at 6.15 p.m. Guests to be allowed in from 6.30 p.m.
onwards (on video afternoons, people coming to the film need to be let in
earlier, then doors re-locked until 6.30 p.m.). Start serving food at 7.15
p.m. Leader to say grace to guests and
give out any notices prior to this.
Then volunteers to serve out food. Start clearing up at about 9.00 p.m.
(8.30 p.m. on video nights). Encourage people to leave by about 9.30 p.m. (9.00
p.m. on video nights).
Gamblers Anonymous
This community outreach, also has a meeting every Saturday evening,
beginning at about 8.30 and ending at about 10.30. They meet in the Day Centre
Lounge area, and ASLAN have been asked to minimise any possible annoyance.
An accommodation between ASLAN and GA has been agreed :
·
On opening up, the duty
ASLAN team leader will draw the screen round the lounge area, and will place
the cloth covered screen at an angle from the corner of the wall, where the
lounge meets the foyer by the toilet area.
·
A notice will be posted
on the screen requesting “QUIET PLEASE”
·
The double doors by the
office area will be locked. Guests needing to use the toilets, will be directed
to go through the double doors, by the lift, and then use the narrow corridor
beside the lift. AS there is an awkward step at the end of that corridor, a
warning notice will be posted, and the door from the landing, will be propped
open.
·
As we say Grace with our
guests, with any other announcements, our guests will be requested to be quiet
when going to the toilet, as there is another meeting in progress.
Social or Video Night - 2
courses. Dinner Night - 3 courses
(including a starter).
Food should be plentiful,
high in carbohydrate, low in fat and sugar, with fruit and/or vegetables
included if possible.
Also buy:
·
Vegetarian option for
up to 4 people
·
Bread and butter to
serve with main meal
·
Salad (plus dressing)
to serve with main meal
·
Milk and sugar for tea
and coffee
·
Top ups of tea and
coffee/ soft drinks, if the store in ASLAN cupboard is low
·
Newspapers (optional)
for guests to read
·
Crisps to put in bowls
when guests arrive
·
A piece of fruit or
small chocolate bars to hand out at end of evening
After switching on the
lights, open the back gate into Greenwell Street. This entrance is used for
delivery of food and entry of volunteers and guests. Appropriate signs will be
attached to the front door of the Clubhouse, and the gate, to direct people to
the back entrance of the Clubhouse.
The water heater at the
coffee point is switched “ON”.
Switch on air conditioning
units and adjust temperature if necessary.
The toilets must be checked,
ensuring that they are clean and that sufficient toilet paper is available.
The eating area is prepared
for the event. Tables will be in the Community Centre cupboard between the lift
and the office. Chairs will be stacked in the dining area. Set up eight round
tables (five chairs each) and two rectangular tables (six chairs each). Also
set up a rectangular table by the drinks point to serve drinks.
The tables in the eating area should be laid with paper tablecloths (if
required), cutlery, napkins, condiments and flowers (if required). Two small bowls of crisps should be put on
each table.
Beside the hot water point,
the drinks area should be set up with tea, coffee, juice and fizzy drinks. Glasses are available for cold drinks and
mugs for hot drinks. If these run out
there are insulated cups either in the pantry cupboard or in the loft.
Welcome guests as they
arrive, and offer them a drink and some crisps.
On video afternoons,
encourage guests to finish their drinks swiftly and move upstairs – leaving
any unfinished drinks behind. At least one volunteer should remain
upstairs, holding the video remote control, throughout the film. The
outside door in the dining area should remain locked throughout the film.
For the meal, there should
be at least one volunteer host(ess) per table. Hosts should collect the food
when it is ready to be served, and give it to the people on their table. Then
sit with the guests and chat with them. Pay special attention to anyone who is
looking lonely or left out. Keep an eye out for seconds, and then clear the
dinner plates away, and put them in the returns hatch. When it is time for
pudding, repeat the process.
On social evenings, ask the
guests on your table whether they would like to play Scrabble or Draughts or
some other game.
Encourage guests to leave –
be sure to thank them for coming, and wish them well. It may be appropriate to
tell them you will pray for and/or investigate a particular problem they have
raised with you. Then sweep and mop the floors
All kitchen staff to wash
their hands, must be wearing clean clothes and report any illnesses on arrival.
It is a legal necessity that activities requiring the handling of food,
will have people involved who have Food Safety Certificates.
Club have strict hygiene
requirements and all volunteers should refer to the colour coded chart in the
kitchen showing the usage of the special detergent concentrates.
Before Guests Arrive
Help prepare food and if
requested lay the tables. French bread,
rolls or bread and butter will be provided. Some guests prefer bread that is
un-buttered so leave a small amount aside.
When Guests Arrive
When the food is ready, summon the hosting staff to serve the meal, and dispense food from the serving hatch. Collect plates from returns hatch at end of main course, rinse excess food from plates, and place in dishwasher. Then serve pudding. Collect plates from returns hatch at end of dessert course, rinse excess food from plates, and place in dishwasher.
When Guests Leave
Put away all plates, glasses
and cutlery - make sure all items are in their proper place. Ensure that all ASLAN stores are returned to
their boxes and returned to the loft. Clean
kitchen and cookers (special attention to the cooker top.) Ensure that the cooker, dishwasher and all
fans are turned off. Mop floor last thing.
Before Guests Arrive
Please look out for early
arrivals and ask them to wait outside until 6.30 p.m. at the earliest (unless
it is raining). Guests cannot be
guaranteed food if they arrive after 8.00 p.m.
When Guests Arrive
Check invitations and tick arrivals off on guest
list. Introduce new arrivals to one of
the hosts/hostesses.
DOORS TO BE KEPT LOCKED BETWEEN ALL ARRIVALS
One member of the door staff
is ALWAYS to be in reach of the door.
Female door staff to check ladies toilets every half an hour and
male door staff to do the same for the gents.
When Guests Leave
Female door staff to clean
basins and floors in ladies toilet.
Male door staff to do the same for the gents.
Leave everything in a
cleaner state than found.
·
Check names (not
numbers – NAMES) of all guests and volunteers on the coach before leaving All
Souls
·
On arrival at venue,
ask guests to wait on board whilst you establish entry and toilet arrangements
·
Return to coach and
announce toilet arrangements (N.B. some guests will need to go immediately)
·
Select picnic area and
lay out ground sheet with food, have drinks and cups some distance away, manned
by one or two volunteers.
·
Arrange food in a
circle around perimeter of ground sheet, with food stations manned by
volunteers, and pass plates round the serving volunteers, starting at one
corner of the ground sheet. Ask guests to form a queue at the point where
filled plates reach the last volunteer in the circle. The last volunteer hands
the filled plate with cutlery and napkin to the first person in the queue, and
so on. Seconds are taken round by volunteers. At no point do guests help
themselves or stand around the groundsheet or food
·
After lunch, announce
time and arrangements for garden and/or house tours, time and arrangements for
tea, and time of departure – warn guests that you cannot wait for them
·
You must leave the
venue in time to get back to All Souls by 5.30 pm.
·
Check names (not
numbers – NAMES) of all guests and volunteers on the coach before leaving the
venue, and ensure they match the names who left All Souls
·
Resist calls to keep
stopping to drop people off at various points in outer London on the way back
to All Souls