A minute on the clock: Mark Woollard
Ex-chef and funeral director Mark Woollard has been a London volunteer at homeless charity Crisis at Christmas for the past nine years. Each year the charity serves 16,000 meals to people living on the streets over the Christmas period. Here, he tells Emily Manson why he helps out every year
How did you first get involved with Crisis?
My flatmate worked for Crisis and I used to drop him off at the shelter. I went and had a look once and the next time did a few hours and then it just snowballed. Last year I was shift leader at one of the smaller shelters and this year I've been promoted to food service coordinator, which means I have to make sure there's enough food to cover the whole seven days.
Have you got any chef's training? MW I trained for two years when I left school, and worked as a chef for a while, but I discovered funeral work and quite enjoyed it. I find the helping people side of things rewarding. You only get one shot at each funeral - it's like fitting together pieces of a jigsaw.
What type of food do you cook at Crisis? On Christmas Day there's the full dinner with all the trimmings. Most of the food is donated by companies or the local community. For breakfast we serve fry-ups, cereal and porridge. Lunches are lighter, with things like sausage rolls, pasties and jacket potatoes. For the main meal in the evening we cook things like curries, stews, pasta and chops. We always have puddings and snacks, too.
How does it feel to help out at Crisis? I really enjoy it. It's very rewarding and can be quite humbling as well. Christmas isn't a big family thing for me, and Crisis is now my family. We meet some of the same volunteers and guests each year and, although I'm not religious, it gives you a great buzzy feeling.
What have you learnt by helping out? Most guests are really appreciative, and it challenges your preconceptions. All it takes is a mental breakdown to become homeless. There are former chief executives and all sorts of people who've had a tough ride. Last year my mother came to help for a few days and ended up getting advice from a guest about which operas to go to.
What's the hardest thing about it? Closing the shelter on the last day. I find it very difficult, as you build up a lot of relationships with people. I actually try to avoid the last shift, as I really do struggle with it.
But you got something out of it personally, too - didn't you meet your girlfriend at Crisis? Yes, I met Jo at a Crisis training weekend and we've now been going out for two years. But my new role has ruined our own Christmas this year as my shift now is 8am to 8pm and Jo works nights, so we won't see each other at all.
To volunteer for Crisis at Christmas call 020 7426 3874 or visit www.crisis.org.uk
