End of an era

I dropped Husband off at the hospital entrance for his ear check-up. I was going to park the car and join him.
"You know where I'll be, don't you?" he said.
"Yes, yes. I've been there with you before."

I parked the car and headed in. I went upstairs to the first floor and walked the length of it, ending up in the canteen. "I'm sure it's here somewhere," I muttered, disbelieving the sign that didn't mention the department.

In the end I had to walk right back to the hospital entrance and to the information desk. I was right: it was on the first floor, but at the other end. Husband had mentioned that he'd be in waiting area 3 but that hadn't registered with me so I was looking for a sign for 'the department that does ears.'

* * * * *

Not so much the end of an era as the end of a period that began in an extraordinary time. Zac's food service started in August 2020 as part of a city initiative to keep the vulnerable fed during lockdown. Initially the council provided funding and several locked-down kitchens made us food, but as things got back to normal that all stopped.

Over the last four years and seven months Zac's has provided about 38,000 meal packs at a cost to us of roughly £100,000. (It cost more but council funding helped.) Today was our last lunchtime service. Next week the builders will be in and when we re-open it will be a new regime: cooked breakfast on Thursday and Friday, and coffee bar on Thursday evening.

As a thank you all our volunteers - including me! - received a special mug - and a brownie made by me. Incidentally all the work of the food service over the last four years or so has been done by a mere twenty-two volunteers, and a couple of paid staff.

To give you an idea of the work that needs to be done here is the corridor.

And the ladies' toilet.

The corridor is also being widened to make it accessible and the two cubicles in the ladies' are being replaced by one wheelchair-friendly toilet, and shower area.