CHRISTMAS lunch at Wade was rescued this year by the generous actions of a Wokingham businessman.
When he heard that an energy outage threatened to close Wade Day Centre for a day and that its Christmas lunch for vulnerable older people would have to be cancelled, Wokingham resident and managing director of Heidelberg Materials Gareth Day stepped in to provide a temporary generator for the charity.
A pre-planned outage by Wade’s electricity company, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), meant that power, both there and at surrounding properties, was to be out on Tuesday, December 16, between 8am and 4pm.
It was bad timing: food was already being prepared for Wade’s Christmas spread on Thursday, December 18, and its freezers and fridges were filled to the brim.
There was a lot to lose if the food defrosted.
On top of this, the day centre was due to open (as it does every weekday) on December 16, to provide its members with warmth, home cooked food, company and care.
“It could have been disastrous for us with preparations already under way for our huge annual Christmas lunch on Thursday, let alone having to inform our wonderful members that we would have to close for the day,” said centre manager Elaine.
So when Gareth Day located a generator and arranged for it to be delivered to Wade, it was a great relief for chair of Wade trustees Philip Mirfin, who had been working hard to solve the problem.
He had already contacted SSEN, asking them to reschedule the work, originally planned for December 11.
“I explained that we are a charity that supports vulnerable older people, and that winter is not a good time for them to be without heat,” said Mr Mirfin.
“I asked them to postpone the work, or to provide us with a generator.
“We got a cold response.
“They were reluctant to do either until Wokingham MP Clive Jones and his team stepped in to help.”
SSEN did move the date, but not to a warmer time of year.
It was rescheduled for just a week later – on December 16.
“This was even worse,” said Mr Mirfin, “being just two days before the Christmas lunch, and during an even colder week.”
It meant that not only would Wade have to close on December 16, but its members, who would have found warmth at the centre, would have been without power at home.
“It was nonsense to consider sending them to cold houses,” said Mr Mirfin.
“I reminded SSEN that, according to Energy UK’s Vulnerability Commitment, it has an obligation to keep vulnerable people warm, and stressed the importance of providing us with a generator, but I was met with a wall of stone.”
With the problem still unsolved and time running out, Mr Mirfin’s son happened to catch up with old schoolfriend Gareth.
“Gareth asked about Wade and immediately offered to help,” said Mr Mirfin.
Within days he had located a generator.
“It was being loaned to us free of charge, but was in Essex,” said Mr Mirfin, “so Gareth very kindly arranged for his company, Heidelberg Materials, to pay for its transportation to Wokingham.
“It was such a generous gesture; and one that has kept vulnerable people warm and fed.
“We were glowing during the outage on December 16, while all around us other properties were in the cold and dark.
“We are so grateful to Gareth and Heidelberg.”
Wade is also grateful to Daton Electrical Services from Reading, whose team connected – and then after the outage, disconnected – the generator.
“SSEN, on the other hand, appeared to be heartless, and behaved in a very Scrooge-like manner,” said Mr Mirfin.
“They seemed to have no compassion, and no interest.
“They didn’t even know that we are a charity; they thought we were a private house.
A Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution spokesperson said: “The maintenance required across our network to keep it in the best-possible condition for our millions of customers means that work needs to be carried out all-year round when conditions permit.
“After the Wade Day Centre’s management got in touch with us, we asked what alternative day might suit them.
“We moved the date of the planned outage from the 11th to the 16th December.
“We did this as a gesture of goodwill, in an effort to accommodate one of the centre’s series of festive events.
“The centre informed us that the new date still wasn’t suitable; those desired by its management were ones in the very heart of the Christmas period.
“Due to the essential nature of these planned works for the wider community, it was not possible for us to delay them for a second time.
“We gave considerable prior notice of this necessary interruption to power supplies; we do this to give affected people and groups time to make alternative arrangements.
“In our advice to customers on power cuts, we inform people that if fridge and freezer doors are kept closed it protects their contents, and means that chilled and frozen food should last for several hours.
“We only provide mobile generation in very specific circumstances where people are unable to leave their residence during a planned outage owing to their medical condition or particular individual circumstances.
“When any Planned Supply Interruption is scheduled, affected customers who are signed up for SSEN’s Priority Services are contacted.
“During the course of these conversations, needs are assessed and advice is given.
For information, visit: wadecentre.org.uk, heidelbergmaterials.co.uk, datonelectrical.co.uk, energy-uk.org.uk and ssen.co.uk
