EST Ivybridge Donkey Volunteer’s Lunch

EST Ivybridge Donkey Volunteer’s Lunch

The annual EST Ivybridge Branch held its volunteers lunch on the Friday 16th December. It is where the centre’s staff lay on a 3 course Christmas lunch as a way of saying “thank you” to all the volunteers who give up their time during the year to help down at the centre. There are now over 100 volunteers at the moment and without our help the centre would not be able to function.  A member of staff was sat at each table and they  become waiters and waitresses for the day to serve the volunteers with their lunch.

It was very enjoyable and very professionally done.  There was a table plan with each table given a Christmas themed name including all the names of Santa’s reindeers (not donkeys) and the table I was on was “Dasher”. Mr John Akers who is based at Simouth is the Chief Executive Officer of the EST centres around the Country and the newly opened centre in Ireland, always joins us for our Christmas lunches and I was honored to be sat at the same table as him.

We started with prawns and a dip, which I didn’t touch as I do not eat any sort of fish or shellfish, sun dried peppers in an oil, olives and crusty bread. It was followed by a stuffed piece of chicken with vegetables and then 3 different little cheesecakes. There was plenty of drink and as Steve dropped me down there and picked me up, I was able to have a couple of cups of red wine.

It was an excellent lunch, prepared by the centre’s cook, who did a sterling job having to cook for over 70 people.

At the end of the meal I was absolutely full, particularly after my lovely meal for my birthday on the 14th at “The Horn of Plenty” so I now need to cut down next week, before my stomach is hit again over Christmas.