This section covers three main areas:
- Should we provide refreshments?
- Key learning from the Food Glorious Food project
- How should we provide refreshments?
Should we provide refreshments?
What are the benefits?
- Access to regular hydration (and limited nutrition) that might otherwise not have
- Helps create a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere, especially on arrival
- Promotes socialisation, engagement, group cohesion and sense of belonging, especially if culturally familiar
- Can help structure day/sessions
- Can help orient attendees if routine
- Can act as a ‘holding exercise’ while people arrive/other activities are set up
- Can help attendees (including carers) feel ‘looked after’
- Staff/volunteer fulfilment at meeting needs and ‘looking after’ attendees
- Attendee enjoyment
What are the risks?
- Potential health consequences if drinks contain sugar and/or there are accompanying snacks (disrupted meal routines, blood sugar levels, weight gain etc.)
- Hot drinks can be a hazard if spilled or too hot to drink
Key learning from the Food Glorious Food project
- Starting a session with refreshments/snacks is key to setting a welcoming and relaxed tone and facilitates socialising – a feature across cultures (with some adaptations)
- Refreshment breaks can help structure and pace sessions and can be valuable in helping to orient people, if part of routine
- Refreshment breaks are an opportunity for essential hydration
- Refreshment breaks can be an opportunity to check in with attendees (including carers), and to help them feel ‘looked after’
- Refreshments and snacks can be ab opportunity to make people feel at home (if offered refreshments they are used to), and to acknowledge and celebrate culture (e.g. special occasions in the calendar)
- Responsibility for helping with refreshments can give volunteers purpose (and attendees, if able – see ‘Involve your attendees in food practices’)
How should we provide refreshments?
What helps?
- Access to appropriate and appealing crockery, cutlery, and comfortable furniture for a more pleasant experience
- Access to kitchen facilities
- Having a choice of refreshments available (including culturally appropriate variations)
- Seasonal and celebratory adaptations (e.g. cold drinks in summer, thematically appropriate refreshments and snacks for special events in the calendar)
- A comfortable space to consume refreshments together
What challenges might we need to think about?
- Attendees not drinking of their own volition
- Family/carer requests to withhold liquids (e.g. because of continence issues)
- No access to crockery or kitchen facilities
- Attendee dislikes drink options