Interviewer

Okay. So could I ask you your name first?

 

Ann Cousins

My name is Ann Cousins.

 

Interviewer

And which friends group are we talking about today?

 

Ann Cousins

The League of Friends at Ealing Hospital.

 

Interviewer

And could I ask you your age?

 

Ann Cousins

I’m 76.

 

Interviewer

Thank you, Ann. So what first inspired you to get involved with the friends group?

 

Ann Cousins

I wasn’t looking for a job, but I saw a job advertised. I didn’t go to college, or anything, when I was leaving school, because my Mum couldn’t afford to send me. So I worked in a bank. I have volunteered with Brownies since I was seven, used to be dealing with volunteers because I was a Commissioner. So I was trained as a chef, because I did that at 50, and all my life skills had come together through this advert. My husband said, “Well, that’s you?” So I went for the interview, and I got the job. I was employed by the NHS then, but they got rid of this after a couple of years, and now employed by the League of Friends.

 

Interviewer

And so how long ago was that?

 

Ann Cousins

I think it’s about 17 years.

 

Interviewer

Okay. You’ve sort of passed traditional retirement age. So something’s kept you here. What’s kept you?

 

Ann Cousins

Something you’re never prepared for, and didn’t think that I was strongly enough to cope with it, but I lost my sister to a brain tumour. She was 50 something, and my daughter died at 31, and it keeps me going. Selfishly, it keeps me going.

 

Interviewer

So actually having purpose? So you’ve got these sort of factors at home, and you need something to, to keep you occupied? But my guess is there’s also something about the particular role and the people?

Ann Cousins

I love it. And you know, if I didn’t, and I’ve got half an hour journey at least to get here now, I couldn’t do it. Sometimes it drives you mad. Sometimes volunteers drive you mad. It’s much worse having volunteers, and employing people. But I like the concept of it, and the, and the good it does.

 

Interviewer

Okay. So do you have any favorite memories of being involved in the friends group?

 

Ann Cousins

Here? I was really resented when I joined, and I was surprised that I was strong enough to cope with it because the manager, the outgoing manager, was a volunteer. Didn’t like a lady in and sorry, I don’t know if I should say that, and didn’t like that I was being paid, but it was being run like church bazaar, and it couldn’t carry on like that. So I came in not asking them anything, and don’t know if it’s a favourite memory, but you know, it was purpose. And we had meetings with the volunteers: we had to get together, and we were getting a team together, I think. So that helped.

 

Interviewer

Okay. So there’s something about how you’ve personally impacted the way the organisation is?

 

Ann Cousins

Well, they call it my baby. I don’t like to call it that, but yes, I suppose it is!

 

Interviewer

Well, I have to say I’m very impressed with it. As part of my role, I get to visit all sorts of Leagues of Friends, and I have to say you come in, and it feels purposeful. It feels professional. It looks like I was going to say a ‘proper café’, but you know what I mean? It’s got, it’s got that sense.

 

Ann Cousins

Well it has to be nowadays, isn’t it? Everybody’s had their hygiene certificate. We have to be on our toes. We’re governed by the Council as well. They’ll come and test us. And so with the hospital. So different from when I started.

 

Interviewer

Yes. So no longer can we have people without any particular qualification, just knocking together a few sandwiches out the back, no life has changed.

 

Ann Cousins

It has.

Interviewer

And out of interest, what sorts of food do you supply?

 

Ann Cousins

We concentrate on fresh, affordable food. We have a baker. Well, we had a baker for years and years and years, and suddenly he’s retired. So we’re, I think I’m on my sixth one now ,to try and get the same quality of bread. But you know, what we’ve got at the moment is fine, but not what I would like. But so people come in, and they can have a made to measure roll, baguette, sandwich. We have different sorts of fillings, and they can have different sorts of salad with it. And we cater for anybody, vegetarian, vegans, people with allergies, and things. So, but they can see it being made, and they get what they want.

 

Interviewer

It feels therefore that you’ve got a very different philosophy to perhaps one of the High Street Chains that I might find in hospitals?

 

Ann Cousins

Yes, because it’s not plastic food and you probably don’t know what it’s going to taste like before you eat it. Whereas, you know, Marks and Spencer’s prawn sandwich is my favourite, but you know, we don’t do that sort of thing. Although we do have a company now that do ready-made sandwiches because some of the staff only get half an hour lunch. So they want to grab and go.

 

Interviewer

I imagine one of the challenges must be that not everybody who walks past, is particularly flash with cash, particularly in the current economic climate?

 

Ann Cousins

No.

 

Interviewer

How does the organisation cope with that?

 

Ann Cousins

Especially now, we’re reviewing prices as, as orders come in, but we try and keep the prices low as possible. The coffee and tea is quite good quality for, for, well, that’s what we aiming for the, you know, the ham and the cheese is is not your plastic stuff and…

 

Interviewer

One of the things I noticed this morning is that, I mean, it makes me smile in some of the places I go and eat, because you know, they’re trying to keep the table turnover up, because they come and clear the table to move you up. You don’t seem to try and move people on in the same way. No. Feel like you’ve got a bit another agenda about them as individuals.

 

Ann Cousins

Well, I always say that people don’t come into the cafe or the hospital for a day out. They’re there because you don’t know why they’re there, but probably they’re worried. They’ve got somebody that’s ill. They’re ill, whatever, they’ve got an appointment, they don’t know what’s going to happen. So our people are there, because they want to be there. They’ve got time to have a chat. If they want to, you know, we get to know we’ve got regulars and they come in,” oh, we have missed you.” And that’s lovely. It is lovely.

Interviewer

And has COVID changed things at all?

 

Ann Cousins

In as much as we are in a hospital, and we closed for three months, but the footfall has been very sparse. And my husband keeps saying, “it will get better”, and it will get better, and it is getting better. And hopefully now the masks and it will, will help. And perhaps the trade will get… because we only opened for sort of three hours at first and now it’s six, but yes, staffing levels have changed. We’ve lost a lot of volunteers and still some haven’t come back.

 

Interviewer

But you think they ever will come back? Those volunteers?

 

Ann Cousins

Possibly not, no. People are worried about catching it, and they stayed safe. And sadly when people stay indoors, and watch the television, have listened to all the reports, and the daily thing, and all that, it’s frightens the life out of life?

 

Interviewer

Well, it does. They’re scared.

 

Ann Cousins

Oh they’re scared. Yes.

 

Interviewer

But also their routines have changed, and they may have just been in a routine where they sort of didn’t think too much about coming out on a Monday morning for a morning. And they’ve got used to not coming out on a Monday morning. It’s a big journey isn’t it.

 

Ann Cousins

And some people have made their own food at home and brought it in and you know, it’s cheaper like that. We’ll carry on. So we’ve got to re-educate them all.

Interviewer

Absolutely. So we are looking at this slightly different world in which we live. Do you think there’s still a need for friends groups in hospitals today?

 

Ann Cousins

Oh yes. For all the things I’ve said!

 

Interviewer

Absolutely.

 

Ann Cousins

Yes. I say the people are there because they want to be there. Not because they have to. So they, they’ve got time.

 

Interviewer

And if I was in the local community and I was thinking about getting involved in a friends group, is there anything you can say that might encourage me to do that?

 

Ann Cousins

Well, the fact that it gets you out of bed, and you have to put a bit of lipstick on, not you, but you have to you know, get dressed and washed and out. You’ve got a purpose haven’t you?

 

Interviewer

Absolutely. No, that’s great. Now, when you were thinking about me coming today, is there anything that you thought you might have wanted to tell me you haven’t had the chance to say?

 

Ann Cousins

I don’t think so. I think you heard my life history.

 

Interviewer

Well, and can I say thank you ever so much. It there’s a real, real warmth about the community here, that clearly is described as “your baby”, but you’ve been really important in making that warmth happen. So thank you ever so much for allowing us to share that today. Thank you.

 

Ann Cousins

I’m honored that you’ve actually asked us.