Utilising our skills

Another week where Blend Kitchen’s reputation goes ahead of us. Just over a week ago we were contacted by Dr Julie Endacott, the clinical lead for central NHS Primary Care Network. Dr Endacott wanted to know if we could help to co-ordinate volunteers at the covid vaccination site just round the corner from the new Blend Kitchen. After a zoom meeting with Dr Endacott, some conversations with some other local organisations and a couple of days to think about how we contribute towards this (alongside everything else that going on), we agree to coordinate the volunteer programme.

Next step, we need someone to run this for us. After thinking about the skills required for this role, (managing a diverse team, logistics, good communication and ability to look after people really well) we had the perfect person for the job. Step forward local hospitality legend Tom Lord! Blend Kitchen have worked with Tom for a couple of years now and he’s one of the best in the business. For those of you who don’t know Tom, he’s been involved in running some of Sheffield’s best bars including Bamboo Door and Firepit Rocks. Alongside this, he’s started his own drinks consultancy business and in the last year launched ‘Hospitality Gin’ as a way to raise money for charity. He’s absolutely smashed it in lockdown (check out this Guardian article) but thankfully for us has enough time in his week to project manage the covid vaccination volunteering work for us, Dr Endacott and the most vulnerable people in our community.

Me, Justin, Grace and Tom from the Blend Kitchen team have been down to work alongside the vaccination team at Porterbrook Medical Centre today. Our roles included directing people to the entrance, managing traffic as patients arrived at the surgery, ensuring people with mobility issues were provided with a seat while they waited and didn’t have to queue, making teas for the staff and booking taxis to get people home safely. It is an absolute privilege for me and the Blend Kitchen team to be involved in this and knowing that 440 people had received their vaccination in just over  5 hours was definitely the best days work us 4 have had in a long time.  If you fancy volunteering on this project, please drop us an email to [email protected] .

There’s been a few birthdays this past week or so also. Happy birthday in no particular order to Johnny Brittain (our electrician), Richard Hawley (our Patron) and David Jacob (BK front of house legend). A year ago me, Dave and the Blend Kitchen team were celebrating our birthdays at the incredible Kurdistan Grill on London Road. Hopefully this time next year we’ll be doing something similar at Blend Kitchen.

Chris