James from the Fat Cat has decided to spread a little Christmas cheer for the homeless men and women who will be spending the festive period at CENS
“We’re a family run pub and have opened another pub in Ipswich, so it’s been a busy time for us these last few years. I decided to only serve drinks Christmas Day this year as it’s been so hectic. That’s why when we were originally approached by Marina (CENS’ manager) about providing the dinners, I was hesitant. However, after I’d thought about it, I phoned my mate to see if he could lend a hand. I phoned Marina back and said we’re in. We’ve got a couple of young lads on the bar that day and I just need to be about to make sure everything is running smoothly.”
“My friend and maybe some of his family are going to come to the kitchen about 9.30am to get started. As we’re not doing food for anyone else on the day, I don’t think it’s not going to be too stressful. It’s going to be much easier than when we’ve got 20 different seatings all coming at different times, wanting different things. We’re hoping to get it all knocked out by 12pm. All I have to do is roast a turkey and put some spuds in the oven – plus we haven’t got to go too far to deliver it have we! We’ve also made two Christmas cakes which we hope will go down well.”
Giving back
“As a pub, we’ve done a few different things for charity over the years. I’ve run a half marathon for a cancer charity, plus a sponsored sky dive for my friend’s son who had a brain tumour. We had a charity auction for him as well. Lots of local businesses got involved and donated really great prizes. We raised about £8,000 for him. He is doing really well now, he was in on Saturday having a drink.”
Working together
“I’ve noticed that CENS is a lot quieter than it used to be, as in there’s not as much trouble now. You’re not bad neighbours at all. You’re doing a good job all year round. We’re working really hard here and we’re taking good money so if we can do something to help, I think that’s the right thing to do.
“Obviously, we can’t really do much else to help as we’re a pub and the residents can’t drink alcohol while staying at CENS. There’s always been that barrier between the Fat Cat and the shelter, but I hope this shows that we do support the work you do.”
To find out more about the delicious food from the Fat Cat, follow the link here.
If you would like to support CENS this Christmas, follow the link here.
