February update for leaders: guest turnout, big updates, and primary leader changes
Will Myddelton, product lead
This is a lightly-edited version of our update to Local Welcome leaders in February 2020. We want to be open in our communication so we’re posting it here too.
In January 2020 we started sending all our local leaders an email about what we're doing at Local Welcome. We want leaders to know what's going on. We said we'd start sending these updates monthly. And now we're in February already!
We're making progress on guest turnout
Our focus is making sure there are enough refugee guests at our meals. And that guests arrive on their own rather than being picked up from hostels. Here's what we're doing:
7 of 8 groups are using the new system. We just moved Birmingham. The only group doing hostel pickups now is Derby. (We are coming for you too Derby, we promise).
We're building relationships with local refugee organisations. We've been making connections with people working with refugees in Birmingham and are starting to do the same in all our other groups. The response has been amazing.
It helps (a lot) when leaders go to a local drop-in. The best way to convince people to get tickets is to meet them in person. We are finding all the drop-ins. We will ask our leaders to go along and visit every now and then.
But guest turnout is still a bit patchy. In Wakefield we had our first meal where no guests showed up (we're working to fix this). Elsewhere, we often have fewer guests than members. We're working hard on this.
You can help if you want to. Let us know about people that work with refugees in your area. Share the link for free tickets for refugees in your area. Or print out some posters for your area and put them up where refugees will see them.
Improved meal instructions are nearly ready
We are right in the middle of improving the paper folder with the instructions to run meals. Our designer - Efe - is working on making everything clearer and simpler. We are updating the recipes so there aren't leftover ingredients. The other improvements are all based on feedback from leaders. We think you'll love the changes.
We need to test and finalise it all. We are aiming to start using the updated instructions for all meals from Sunday 9 March onwards. We'll confirm that date when we are 100% sure. Then we can start adding new recipes.
We'll change the 'primary leader' role
Lots of our leaders are reluctant to do the 'primary leader' role. We understand this. The way we've set it up makes it feel a bit daunting.
We're going to make it easier by sharing out responsibilities between all leaders. This will take us a while. In the meantime, we are asking leaders to take their turn as primary leader when asked. It's not that bad. But we can't run meals without primary leaders, and it feels unfair to make the same people do it again and again.
Grocery deliveries are weirdly reliable
Our grocery deliveries are booked to show up between 11am and 12pm. It can be worrying when they don't show early in that hour. We know because it worries us when we run meals too! So we've been looking into this and...
We've run 88 meals in the last year and only had 1 meal where the groceries didn't turn up!
We thought it was worth sharing this because we're always stressed out by grocery deliveries. It was a surprise to see how reliable they are. Maybe sharing this with leaders will help with the agonising wait. Maybe not.
Our Thornton Heath group is paused for now
Finally, we are sad that our Thornton Heath group is paused at the moment because we don't have a venue. Our team are trying to find a new venue. Hopefully we'll be up and running again soon.
Will Myddelton is the product lead for Local Welcome. Say hello on @myddelton or will@local-welcome.org. Or, even better, get involved as a leader or a member.