by Author Rachel Graham

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Musicians don't share carrot cake

The importance of food in projects.

As I sat staring at a blank screen wondering what to write about for this post I threw it out in the office, ‘what are the key learning points from our Rock Up project’? The instant reply came, ‘that musicians don’t share carrot cake’!

This seemingly throw away comment from the boss and his disappointed stomach was a bit of a joke, but it got me thinking about what a key tool food is in our work.  

Offering someone a drink or something to eat could just be seen as a nicety, a standard part of our social norms but for us it is an integral part of our workshops and something which is built into the planning and fundraising.

When welcoming a group into a space, offering a brew gives you an opportunity to have one to one conversation with everyone, to give each individual your full attention, find out their name and have a chat in a light, none threatening way. It can help to create a connection between you and the participants, make people feel valued and listened to but it also gives you an opportunity to gauge the mood of the group.

Imagine you arrive at a seminar or conference and there’s no refreshments at the beginning of the day, you and your fellow delegates would probably stand around feeling a bit awkward, may be you would retreat into your mobile phone... but getting a coffee somehow breaks the ice and makes the space more sociable.   

For many of the people we work with access to things like tea and biscuits is highly restricted. One young man we worked with recently delighted in making brews not just for himself but for everyone else too, his care home didn’t have facilities available for residents to make their own brews and not only was he quite particular about how he liked his tea (very very strong with just the right amount of milk) but he enjoyed being the ‘host’.

Then there’s the practical issues; put simply, hungry people are less likely to participate!

We’ve found it to be as important and valuable to provide refreshments in training sessions and meetings for practitioners as it is for participants in sessions, again it makes people feel welcome and valued.

My one piece of advice? Don’t forget the office staff and make sure you save a piece of the carrot cake for the boss, or you might never hear the end of it.