Charity Insanity

We’re going to have loads of food left over at the wedding, because the number of guests able to come is fewer than the number we’ve paid for.

Naturally, I’m reluctant to let the hotel cater only for the people coming and take the rest as pure profit. So we decided we’d contact the local homeless organisations.

However, St Patrick’s shelter told me they can’t accept fresh food. Health’n'Safety innit?

Let’s be clear: this is not a supermarket dumping unsold, out of date sandwiches. This isn’t stuff that’s been languishing in a freezer for 6 months. This is high-quality fresh meat, fish and vegetables. Prepared and cooked to a high standard in one of the city’s best hotels. This is food which will simultaneously be served to over 80 guests expecting a delicious wedding feast.

But that’s not good enough for our main homeless centre.

It’d be easy to moan at the people who wrote the rules. But I know that they’re in place so unfortunate homeless people aren’t poisoned by Tesco giving a ‘charitable’ donation of dodgy mayonnaise. It’s also to stop Tesco being sued if they do.

I know from my experience at the Young People’s Centre that you CAN take fresh food, provided you take responsibility for it. I used to reheat M&S pies for them, that had been donated on their ‘use by ‘ date and frozen at the centre. Our food will be much better than the crap I used to serve there.

Brighton Soup Run said they would’ve taken it, but need finger food to hand out to people on the streets. Clearly some people cry Health’n'Safety while others get one with helping people.

So this isn’t about the beaurocrats who came up with the rule. This is about the jobsworth idiots who enforce it. St Patrick’s could easily say “we’re not supposed to, but who’ll know?”. They could easily take a judgement that food delivered straight from the kitchen of a top hotel is probably ok, whilst still politely declining the dregs of Sainsbury’s waste bin.  I wonder what they people who use St Patrick’s would say, if I offered them a full, hot, free meal?

Shall I tell my guests, as they tuck in, that although I hope they enjoy their meal I’m afraid it wasn’t good enough for hungry, homeless people and in fact is better in landfill than given away?

(If anyone knows a group who will take it, please let me know)