Forest BB

Too often we have no night staff untill the last minute. This means that too regularly the same people work nights untill they burn out, can't handle it anymore.

Also, it means that for a full day a KM stresses out trying to find people to fill an empty slot or two which leads to a ton of guilt trips, costs us good volunteers and good custom from volunteers who just can't be arsed to get hasseled into work everytime they walk into the cafe.

This is unfortunate and, after 5 years, I am getting kind of tired of it all. Some people say, "just close the cafe then". But the problem is that people have events on and then the KM pulls a double shift to keep the place going. It is not only difficult work (actually, it's not bad and i kind of like it) but it is disheartening.

Anyway, here is the new deal:

On Monday I will look at the rota. Any night that doesn't have at least one competent, well trained person on will be close to cancelation. I will phone up the people who are hosting the events on that night and tell them that we may not be able to staff thier event. They should call the day prior to thier event to see if we have staff, if not, the gig / pupet show / poetry reading will be canceled and, hopefully, reschedual.

I remind us all that this is our collective space and that if we don't want to run it the way we do, than we should talk about it and change it. If, however, we do wish to stay open late, host frequent events, throw parties and do interesting things then we need to have adaquate staff.

Having inadaquate staff hurts the collective by putting too much pressure and responsibility on too few people. I believe everybody who reads this has gotten something amazing from The Forest and I believe we want to share that with as many people as possible. I do not like threatening to close the cafe however, I have no other ideas. (please post if you do)

I will update the lists weekly with notices of To-Be-Canceled events.
everybody, please visit and use the bb
http://www.theforest.org.uk/bb

it is helpfull.
Ryan

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www.ryanvanwinkle.com

I have gotten so much out of the forest in the past couple of years - I will be eternally in debt to this wonderful establishment.

Sadly, though, my skin is v.sensitive and my hands are starting to come out in a rash lately. This is partly down to the amount of time I have spent filling in in the kitchen because there has been nobody else around to work.

But it is SO MUCH FUN!!!!

I shit you not. I really enjoy working in the kitchen, except when I'm having to do it several times a week. Ryan is right: there are so many of us but it is often the same people who burn themselves out trying to keep things going. We are all busy people, yet to spend the odd night hanging out and having a laugh (and doing a bit of work) in the forest kitchen is not too much of a burden on anyone, surely?

I usually find it rather enlightening...