Livery Kitchen delivers 5,300 meals per week

The latest update on the Livery Kitchen was released today and reveals that over £630,000 has been raised and more than 105,000 meals have been delivered.

Overview

• Over £630,000 now raised, c.£200,000 in the last (third) fundraising round.
• 59 Livery companies as well as other charities, organisations and individuals have now contributed, including NHS staff keen to donate back for the free meals received.
• As of 12th March, over 105,000 meals have been delivered since April 2020, roughly half each to the clinical staff in four Barts Health NHS trust hospitals and the other 50,000 to 13 community groups in East London, in partnership with City Harvest.
• 5,300 meals are currently being delivered a week. 2,000 to East London communities and 3,300 to three Barts Health NHS Trust hospitals. This delivery tempo will continue to the end of the month. NHS support is likely to be drawn down to a finish in the first few weeks after Easter.

Support to the NHS

Patient summary:

• As of last week there were a total of 80 (ventilated) in-patients at RLH. 50% have Covid-19, 50% do not. At its peak, ventilated in-patients were double this number, 85% of which had Covid-19. So, the situation has markedly improved.
• Up to 3rd March, a total of 1,780 patients hospitalised with confirmed Covid-19 had sadly died across the Trust’s hospitals.
• Happily, for the same period, 10,861 in-patients hospitalised with confirmed Covid-19 have recovered and have been discharged.
• The flow of patients with Covid-19 into the Trusts hospitals has diminished considerably since the peak mid-January. The Trust therefore appears to be stepping back from its state of alert.

Staff summary:

• It is understood that staff are feeling better and can now see the way out, though it is sadly accepted that there will be longer terms effects on some as a result of the tragedy that has unfolded in front of them.

Emerging way forward:

• On average, an in-patient remains intubated on the ITU for around 5 weeks.
• There continues to be an expected and progressive reduction in care requirements.
• This reduction will be reflected in the re-patriation of staff to their primary roles throughout the Trust, seeing some staff returning to their normal hospital places of work.
• At this stage, this suggests that LKI support to the NHS may no longer be required beyond mid-April, which would coincide with the Government’s planned Step 2 deadline of 12th April.
• Emerging concern suggests that there could be another surge this coming winter (21/22).

City Harvest

• 2,000 meals a week continue to be delivered to 12 community groups in East London.
• LKI representatives are in the middle of visits to these communities and it is clear that this provision is needed for the many families, older people, individuals and children who clearly benefit from them.
• Whilst furlough may have saved some from losing their jobs, some have lost them and family incomes have dropped significantly as a result.
• The lack of children’s attendance at school has also increased the need to provide food for the family.
• Insufficient funds has therefore meant that many have turned to food banks for essential food support or top ups.
• The concern of supporting charity and community organisations is that demand will increase not decrease once furlough ceases.
• For those working, LKI meals are also seen as an excellent takeaway, a treat for the family, where they can enjoy a precooked meal of unequivocal quality together.
• Funds are already in place to continue this provision to the end of May.

The Livery Kitchen Cookbook

• Cookbook sales are now at 800+ and rising.
• Peter Gladwin is doing a superb job of pulling this LKI memento, come working cookery book, together.
• Last orders for presales will be on 31st March, no later.
• Whilst there will be some additional copies printed for sale after publication at the end of April, there is no plan to undertake a second print run.
• Your help therefore in continuing to encourage individuals to pre-order a cookbook now would be much appreciated.
• The flyer is available here.

The Future for LKI

• The proposed plan to cease support to the NHS, with their agreement by 23rd April (TBC), will allow pre-allocated surplus funds to be redirected to continue provision to East London communities until the end of July 2021.
• At the start of the third (latest) LKI fundraising round, it was far from clear how long provision for NHS clinical staff would be required. An informed judgment led by the consultant advisory team at the Royal London Hospital agreed that the worst case could see support being required to the end of May 2021. A target of £180,000 was set to deliver this.
• Thankfully, it is now clear that this provision can be drawn down after Easter.
• In discussion with the other enabling Livery companies, it is clear that it will not be possible to continue the LKI project beyond July 2021 as life returns to a semblance of normality.
• So even when surplus funds from this latest round of support to the NHS are used to continue meal provision to East London communities until end July 2021, there is likely to be c.£100,000 left in the LKI budget.
• Some options are emerging as follows:
  • Hold part or all of this surplus back for a possible further Covid-19 surge this winter (21/22).
  • Discuss with City Harvest how this surplus can be used to support East London communities beyond this summer, bearing in mind they live in the same catchment area as those hospitals supported to date.
  • Invite sponsors to reclaim their share of this surplus.

Finally, the chefs still appear to be loving the fact that, on your behalf, they are delivering some much-needed support to our neighbours in need in East London.