Lunch club coordinator role specific training

Training 2: getting started and planning the lunch club (5-minute read)

We have one lunch club in Crosby, and it depends on the passion, energy, and organisational skills of our dedicated team of lunch club coordinators – that’s you!

Lunch club coordinators plan the weekly lunch clubs and ensure that they run smoothly so that the older people have an enjoyable and safe experience.

As a new lunch club coordinator, you’ll join a team of existing lunch club coordinators. This module will walk you through the steps you’ll take to get started and get you ready to plan your first lunch club.

Getting started and planning lunch clubs

Lunch clubs have been running for some time so when you become a lunch club coordinator, you’ll agree with the other lunch club coordinators which lunch clubs you’ll coordinate and be added to the rota. Together you’ll also plan the volunteer rota and make decisions about the meals that will be served and who will give the lunch club numbers to the caterers.

As a lunch club coordinator, you’ll also be provided with details of the lunch club volunteers and older people. In line with our policies and data protection, you should only share volunteer and older people information with those who need it, when they need it.

During and after each lunch club

Each older person either makes their own way to the lunch club or are picked up by the minibus driver who makes sure the older people get safely to and from the lunch club.

Over the weeks, minibus drivers, lunch club volunteers, lunch club coordinators and older people really get to know one another and often become good friends.

Minibus drivers stay for the duration of the lunch clubs and mingle with the older people. Often older people love interacting with volunteers just as much as they enjoy interaction with other older people – it’s a great opportunity to mix with people of all ages.

As a lunch club coordinator, it’s often good to have contact numbers for older people and volunteers with you – please follow our GDPR guidelines if you do take any contact details with you to a lunch club.

After each lunch club, it’s always good to acknowledge the effort that the other volunteers have made.

Getting to know lunch clubs

Because lunch clubs are already up and running, it’s a good idea to attend a lunch club or two before you start, as this is always a great way to see how lunch clubs work. It’s also a good opportunity to get to know the group, and put faces to names, before starting.

As Re-engage staff and volunteers, we all have a responsibility to look out for each other’s health and safety. Many older people have mobility issues and may be more at risk of accidents.

To help keep everyone safe at the lunch club, please keep an eye out for the following health and safety concerns:

• Trip hazards, such as people’s bags or the edge of a rug.
• Slip hazards, such as spilled drinks or a recently mopped floor.
• Burning or scalding risks, such as an older person leaning to pick up a mug of hot tea which might be too heavy for them.

If you see any potential hazards during the lunch club, please alert the rest of the group and support the lunch club coordinator to mitigate any risks (for example, by helping to move objects that someone might trip over into another room).

Location and local parking arrangements

The lunch club venue has a small car park at the front, which must accommodate the minibus and taxis pulling in to drop off and collect older people and other volunteers.

Please be mindful when parking in the car park that you're not blocking the entrance or obstructing the church door.

Getting into the lunch club

We check with all the older people who attend that they are able to safely manage the three steps into the lunch club.

Getting to the toilet

The lunch club has accessible facilities, and all older people are able to easily access the facilities.

Trips and slips

Before the lunch club starts it’s important that the lunch club volunteers check the lunch club venue to ensure that all trip and slip hazards have been removed. Some examples of these hazards can be loose rugs, trailing wires, loose tiles, wobbly tables, or other things that might cause people to trip or cause accidents.

Seating

Older people can sometimes find it difficult to get in and out of armchairs and sofas, so the lunch club offers a variety of seating options for the older people.

Ventilation

The lunch club has adequate ventilation.

Lighting

The lunch club has adequate lighting.

Smoking

All Re-engage events are non-smoking and the lunch club is no exception.

Food safety and dietary/allergy considerations

Please make sure prior to asking the lunch club volunteers to serve any older people at the lunch club that they’ve checked with you the lunch club coordinator about any dietary requirements. 

Pets

Pets are not allowed at the lunch club.

Reducing the risks

If you would like to learn more about safety, the charity Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has lots of helpful advice on their website.

How we will support you

Contact the team at Re-engage knowledge@reengage.org.uk if you have a question. We also have a whole list of resources and support available to you on our website, including FAQs.