Sh**ged Married Annoyed - Sh**ged Married Annoyed at Footprints Community Café

Episode Date: December 21, 2022

What a lovely festive morning the Ramsey’s had thanks to the staff at The National Lottery supported Footprints Community Café. Chris and Rosie caught up with the team and found out about the amazing work they do all year round to help support their local community. And of course, in true Sh**ged Married Annoyed style, they even got some beefs! Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/sma. https://plus.acast.com/s/sma. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to Shagged Married Annoyed and this week we've got a very special episode made possible by the National Lottery. Now it's Christmas season, the big day is just around the corner and we've decided to do something a little bit special. What's that I hear you ask? Well this morning we recorded the podcast from National Lottery funded project Footprints Community Cafe. It was lovely as well wasn't it? It was lovely. It's in Redcar, Redcar, as the locals say in the northeast. It was fantastic, wasn't it? Had a lovely time there chatting with everyone. Had a lovely cuppa and some gorgeous cheese twists. Cheese twists, yeah.

Really, really nice. It smelled amazing in there. It did. Before we jump in, a little bit about Footprints Community Cafe. Footprints is an amazing space in red car red car that is all about bringing people together and offering them the support they may need locals can drop by for activities for food and even just for a little chat there was loads of people there just how loads of locals and regulars for over 10 years they've been running a whole range of important activities such as a food bank a children's clothes and baby item redistribution service. That was a really good idea, that. Yeah, brilliant.

Next Step Shops, the Shed, a lunchbox club for children, a dementia support group who were at the cafe when we recorded. They were lovely. Got selfies afterwards. They were very nice.

A children's boot club and an intergenerational service for people of different ages to meet up and have a chat. Yes, and thanks to National Lottery players, they've received over £800,000 of National Lottery funding, which allows them to continue

to support vulnerable individuals in the community. That's so good, isn't it? Well, you forget, don't you, when you put the lottery on that it is also, you know... Helping loads of people. Loads of different projects

getting funded by loads of different things.'s awesome we all know that christmas is meant to be a time for joy but this christmas more so than others some of that joy feels a bit harder to come by for so many people in the uk it is a really really tough time but it may be helpful to remember that there are people and organizations on your side people like ruth the founder and ceo of footprints who we spoke to this morning. Yes, I was very impressed. Very impressed by the CEO, Ruth. It is tough at the minute,

there's no denying that, but seeing what Ruth and all the guys there are doing at Footprints Community Cafe and Footprints just itself, the organisation, it just reminded us that there was people out there who care and can offer help

when people need it. It was a lovely chat. It was really lovely. So we really hope you enjoyed this episode. Little bonus episode. And yeah, enjoy. Little Christmas spirit bonus episode. It'll feel good.

Here we go. Babadoo, babadoo, babadoo, bam. Hello, good morning. Good morning, you all right? Hi, hello. Hi, how are you doing? Are you okay? Good morning.

Good to see you. Hi, hi, hi. Nice to meet you. I'm not saying more. This is Ruth. Ruth, hello. Nice to wylio'r ffordd. Diolch am wylio. Helo, hi. Helo, hi. Helo, hi. Helo, hi. Helo, hi.

Helo, hi. Helo, hi. Helo, hi. Helo, hi. Helo, hi. Helo, hi. Helo, hi. I have it black but then I have it with a spoon because I've got my own sweetness that I carry around with me So here we are Footprints Cafe in Redcar

or Redcar as Chris was calling it this morning Yes, I was calling it Redcar because the locals call it Redcar You're not a local Chris When you're coming somewhere new, Rosie, you have to learn the dialect of that place. I don't think that's the rules. Typical arrogant Britishness of you

of not even learning the local dialect or anything about the culture. No, I'm sorry. Right, okay, so you're going to go to Liverpool and just start saying Scouse words, are you? I am, yeah. You'd get chucked out. As for chip butties and that.

No, you would get chucked out. All right, lad, can I have a chip butty? Why are you? I am, yeah. You'd get chucked out. As for chip butties and that. No, you would get chucked out. I can have a chip buttie. Why are you doing that? I was just trying to get into the spirit of it. No, Scouse, I'd love that one. I'd love it.

As would the people of Redca. Redca. Because I did, and we drove down here in our ca. There's loads of ca's on the road. Loads of ca's on the road.

It's shocking. This is not far from us though. No, this is not far. It's only about an hour out of where we live. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And last time, I told you about the last time

I drove here. Last time I drove here, I had a gig. Very, very hungover. Not well. Right, okay. Had to come and do a gig hungover. Very unprofessional.

Very unprofessional. But in my defence, I had put posts on the internet the night before of me night out so the world and his mother knew that the night before of me night out, so the world and his mother knew that I was out on a night out, so I had to come and do the gig because I was batting into a corner.

We chatted about this. Yeah. Schoolboy, I ran. Yeah, so that was nice. Don't ever let on. No, but yeah, that's what I did. But there we go, so we're here, we're at Footprints Community Cafe. Lovely cup of coffee.

Lovely cup of tea that I've got here as well. Did you see the crema on my coffee? Crema? Gorge. Go on then. So we had a little interesting morning this morning. Do you want to tell everyone what you said? Right.

So we were in the car and it was about 20 to 8. We were driving. We had to get the mum and dad to come and look after the kids in the morning, which is weird for us because we're lucky enough to get the kids. We normally start work about half nine, don't we? Yeah, yeah, yeah. But this morning, so we were in the car about 20 to 8 and Chris was like,

isn't our life mental? Who else does this? And I went, everyone. Everyone. I don't know what I was thinking. I was like, who else has to leave this early? Most people in normal jobs have to leave the house at that time. Hence why there was so many kids on the road. Then I'll tell you when I used to work at Eldon Square.

No. Which is a shopping centre. When I worked at you when I used to work at Eldon Square. No. Which is a shopping centre. When I worked at the gadget shop. Oh, yeah, yeah. In the winter, I would leave the house. It would be dark. Yeah. And then I'd get home and it would be dark. Yeah, yeah.

Because I would never leave the square. Yeah, but you can't. And I'd just be in there for hours on end. You can't complain about working in the gadget shop. I won't allow it. That was brilliant. Sumo suits, boomerangs, potato clocks. It was great.

Come on. And the body. I worked at the body shop as well yeah it stinks and as well one of my favourite body shop and Lush I'm sorry the body shop and Lush

are smell incredible but two walk past them lovely walk in pain I did at my friend Jojo works at Lush

and I did ask her once do you pass out yeah and she was like no she loves it she's so Lush she would bleed body

what are they called bath bombs bath bombs and body butter if you so if you work in somewhere like Lush or the body shop do you not think everywhere else

smells terrible probably do you go anywhere else and you go you go to JD sports and you go ah teenagers and rubber

do you remember when they stopped smoking in pubs and you were like I can just smell farts smell farts can you remember your pillow

on a morning after a night out clubbing Oh rotten I remember my dad's coat My dad's coat After he'd been in the pub The first syllable of that The first syllable of that

Really frightened me Like Please don't Don't get dark We're trying to get dark This is a This is a lovely bonus episode We're not going dark

No my dad When he'd be in the pub He used to hang his coat Up in the hallway And you'd come downstairs and it would just stink. Just stink of beer and fags and that. Nah, sniffed it rotten because I loved a cheeky tap. Rosie, will you stop sucking the cuffs of me jacket?

I've told you, man. You're too young. I've heard about secondhand smoking. That's it. So we had possibly one of the earliest arguments I think we've ever had this morning.

Didn't we? Yeah, it was pretty. I mean, we've had earlier. Yeah. There's times I've woke up and rolled over and wanted to shout at you, but this morning

was pretty special. Well, do you want to tell everyone what you did and then we can see whether the folks at home agree with me or you. I feel like our son caught me off guard

this morning. So Robin, basically my mum and dad were coming to look at it. I always think how strange his little life is and how it is weird that people recognise we're in stopware and stuff and then sometimes they get looked after a lot more than I know other people's kids stay out less than ours because we need the childcare for work and stuff. So I feel a bit guilty.

And I feel like Robin knows this now and I feel like he caught us off guard. So he came up the front door as I was putting stuff in the car, and he was like, he was like, Daddy, don't go, don't leave. And I was like, well, we've got to go in and be with Nan and Grandad Bill, and they'll get you ready for school.

And he just looked at us and he went, can I go on my Nintendo Switch? A, he's not allowed it after school during the week, so why he thought he was allowed it before school, I don't know. But I did say, yes. Raging. Yes, you can.

I was really upset about that. I was like, look, if you get ready, if you be a good boy and you get fully ready, teeth brushed, hair done, coat on, everything, you can sit on it for five minutes before you go. Do you know I haven't actually kicked off enough about that? Why did you do that? I have instilled this rule.

Proper emotional. Him. It's him you need to be having a word with. Because that was perfectly timed political emotional blackmail. But he tries it every day. He tries it on every day. He's just got to say no. Yeah, he got us.

He got us perfect. He got us really, really well. Well, don't do that because we can't play each other off against each other. Sociopath that kid. Watch out. Don't call him a sociopath. I've just seen someone go past with

the nicest slice of toast. The nicest slice of toast. It just looked unreal. I can smell toast and scones and I really need to get on it like. I feel very festive in here. Yeah, we've got.

We're next to the tree. It's gorgeous. All the decorations are up now. Not long until the big day, Chris. Not long now. Excited now. People have put their trees up a lot earlier this year

though. Well, I feel like we put ours up on the first week of December. The third, the weekend. The third was exactly the date. Yeah, which I find early, right? But do you not feel like it was late because everybody else had theirs up from October the 31st? It's getting ridiculous.

On a 20 years time people will not take them down no 20 years time you'll take them down on the 4th of January you'll have them back on the 10th of Feb

April April will be the norm I couldn't even take them all year Neil you know who I'm dancing with on Strictly yeah

he last year he went straight on tour after the Strictly? Yeah Last year, he went straight on tour After the Strictly show And after Christmas So he said that he got back in March His tree was still up and he just covered it with a sheet Because he went on tour again

So he didn't have time to take it down So he just literally covered it with a sheet That is shocking You are joking me I'm not I'm going to have to clarify it with him but I'm

like a dead body because he went on two tours and I think he had one night home so they do the strictly tour then they do the

pro tour yeah well I'm not being really though on your one night off do you want to take that it's a mission

taking down decorations drag it into another room drag it in the toilet and just put it a sheet over it he just Just a sheet over it. You just put a sheet over it. Oh, it's thick as snow. Look at that.

Thought I saw a ghost last night. You just put a sheet over it. Love that. I love that so much. Light's still on. Just dim, flicking underneath. Now we've ordered some toast.

It's on its way. It's on its way. I can smell it. I'm thinking about it now. I can taste it in my mouth. Oh, yeah. Loads of butter. In the meantime, though, we are joined by founder and CEO of Footprints, the organisation,

but also Footprints Cafe, which we are here. Ruth, good morning. Good morning. Thank you so much for letting us come and do this. Ruth Zuckerberg herself. I'm going. It's Ruth's fault. Listen, if you've got a Ruth, good morning. Good morning. Thank you so much for letting us come and do this. Ruth Zuckerberg herself. I'm going to report. Listen, if you've got a title, use it. I don't think I've ever spoken to a CEO.

Oh, do you know what? It started as a hobby anyway. So to be CEO now is a bit of a fluke. I'm a little bit nervous. I feel like I'm wearing a cap. I feel like I should have done me hair. So you are the founder of Footprints. Yeah, yeah. So what led you to found it?

It started as a hobby. So my husband and I had taken 12 months out and we'd been to Australia for 12 months. Oh, nice. Wow. Came back. I didn't want any responsibility. I wanted a little admin job somewhere.

And I couldn't get a job. Yeah. So I'd asked the ministry at the church where i belong to um if i could start a little cafe one day a week just as a bit of a hobby yeah and he said yeah yeah go for it so my friend and i helen um and another friend amanda we started this little cafe and yeah it just developed from there so the minister said to us you need to do food bank and I was like don't want to do food bank that's not in my plans you know so yeah it's a lot more than a bit of admin a bit of food absolutely a little part-time job yeah yeah it became a bit more than a part-time job. Well, it became more than a hobby. So eventually I said, okay, we'll do food bank. I'll just attach it to the cafe in the church,

naively thinking that one food bank would be enough for the whole of Redcar and Cleveland. Then we were seeing people walking. Sorry, what's the place called again? Redcar and Cleveland. Oh, I thought it was Redcar. No. I was about to prove Rosie wrong.

I thought it was Redcar. I've got my voice on. She's got her phone voice on. But it is Redcar. The locals do

call it Redcar. You are not a local, Chris. You live an hour away. It's spoken like a true outsider, Rosie.

Anyway, sorry, so one food bag wasn't enough, obviously. Yeah, so we were seeing people walking from Loftus through to Redcar.

How far is that? About nine miles. Oh, gosh. Walking through to get a food parcel. To come and get something. And so we thought, well, actually, this isn't enough. So we've now got nine food bank centres. Wow.

Which is brilliant, but also... Shocking that we need them. Shocking, shocking. Absolutely. Shocking that we need them. But do you know what? If the need's there and you've got nine, you're helping hugely. That's incredible. Yeah. shocking, shocking. But you know what? If the needs there and you've got nine, you know, you're helping hugely. That's incredible.

Yeah. Yeah. Incredible. So is that the main things that you do? Is that the main work that you do? The food bank is the well, it was the first project that came out of footprints in the community. And it's obviously the largest. So since we started, we've fed over 500,000 people, which is like we is, like we said, it's shocking, isn't it?

Again, shocking. It is. So Foodbank is definitely the largest of our projects, but then we were seeing people coming with children, having to carry the children because they couldn't afford a pushchair or the wheel had broken on the pushchair, and I thought, there must be people out there that have got second-hand pushchairs. So we started our first steps project right and that recycles baby clothes and baby equipment that's wonderful genuinely incredible that you

started that so people can get so you recycle clothes and stuff because it's so expensive things for kids yeah and if you if you're having to go to a food bank of course you can't be throwing money left right and center on that's an essential item, isn't it? A massively essential item, yeah. A push chair is an essential item. You know, we often hear of children that are sleeping on the parents' bed or sleeping on a mattress on the floor because they can't afford a cot or a child's bed.

That's a brilliant thing that you're doing. It's really sad. Do you find that a lot of people... Do you get a lot of donations from your community? Yeah. People are the community? Yeah. We get, people are so generous. Yeah. And I can imagine that it's hard sometimes to know where to give your things to.

So I can imagine if the local community know about this place. That's right. That's brilliant. So Ruth, how has the National Lottery funding made a difference? And where would Footprints be without it, do you think? So the National Lottery sponsored us way back and gave us like a start-up grant, which was amazing. So I don't think we would be here without the National Lottery and they've continued to support us. So we got a three-year grant, which was fantastic. But now we've actually got a five-year grant.

Oh, wonderful. I think we're just on to year two now of our five-year grant. So it gives us that little bit of stability. Of course, it gives you, yeah, for the future. Which is fantastic, yeah. I think there has been times within Footprints where we've thought, are we still going to be here next year? Yeah.

You know, are we going to survive, especially throughout COVID? Yeah. still going to be here next year yeah you know are we going to to survive especially throughout covid yeah um but actually having the lottery funding has just given us that that opportunity and given us the confidence i suppose to expand and to introduce new new projects so that we can help more and more people it's a nice support i can imagine and that it's not all on your shoulders no it's lovely so all of the projects have got their own managers that's good so um it is manic it is it is mad but do you love it or do you wish you were doing just you on a day in a little church cafe you are being recorded ruth you are being recorded i absolutely love it i love every minute of every day she's a good liar it must must be hard, but it's fantastic work and very important work.

Why do places like Footprints, why do you think they're needed in our communities? Oh, that's a difficult one, isn't it? Without getting too political, because we could be here all day. Yeah, I'm trying not to be. People are struggling. I mean, day to day.

Cost of living, it's worse now than it ever has been before. I mean, day to day, cost of living, it's worse now than it ever has been before. I was saying earlier how our food bank figures have gone up 66% since this time last year. Yeah, that was a chat that we had just before the recording. So you said the national average has gone up 33%, but here it's gone up 66%. 66%, yeah. Wow.

Yeah, which is just, it's phenomenal, isn't it? It's just ridiculous. So people are struggling, and it's not just people that are on benefits, it's people that are working. We know of people that have got two, three part-time jobs, and yet they still can't afford to feed the families. You shouldn't have to, but you do fantastic work. It might be that your washing machine breaks down,

or your car breaks down, so you can't get to work without amending your car how do you afford to pay for the repairs on your car of course like a sort of one-off yeah one huge expense that is a necessity yeah i didn't even think of that yeah people don't have savings anymore you know it's people can't afford to have savings anymore no No, no. And I think, you know, there's something about it's only, people are only two paychecks away from needing to use food banks. So some people can be judgmental, you know, and be like, oh, you know, look at them using food bank on the smoking. But actually if smoking's your only release in life, then why not?

I totally understand, yeah. And you never know where you're going to be. Absolutely. You know, my mum's always said to me. Well, you said as well when you were younger, you wanted Nana and Granny to bring food round to your house. But food banks weren't a thing when we were younger. But my grandparents would come round with bags of food.

I remember it, like, so vividly. And honestly, we were ecstatic because they'd bring stuff that, crisps, juice. We just didn't have them things because me mum and dad couldn't afford them. I always thought, even to this day, I always thought that me mum was looking after our teeth. I always thought she was, no, too much sugar, too much sugar.

She couldn't afford them. She gives it to our children, doesn't she now? What was it our son got the other day and you scowled at him? What was it he got? Well, no, she was talking... Was it millions? No, no, she bought these things

that are fries to go, they're called, right? They're in a little pack, you put them in the microwave. My friend used to have them at her house. My mum used to say to us, no, oh, they're terrible for you.

No, so fattening, shocking, full of stuff. She bought them for our sons and I was like, Mum, I can stuff. She bought them for our sons. And I was like, Mom, I can't believe you bought them. And it was because she couldn't afford them. So she just told us that they were so bad for you,

but she couldn't afford them. And that was why we never got them when we were kids. And now I was like, what's my kid getting? She gets jealous of her own children for stuff that she couldn't get. It's genuinely tragic. And now I get it. I understand it.

And if my nana and granddad didn't help out, I don't know. It's genuinely tragic. I now wonder, I get it. I understand it. And if my nana and grandad didn't help out, I don't know what we would have done. Exactly. So Ruth, you are the founder and CEO. Yeah. But there is another lady who runs this cafe during the day. Do you want to tell us a little bit about her?

Yeah, so Kat is the manager of the cafe. Kat actually came to us as a food bank client she had two teenage children at the time and she was struggling she was just out of a bad relationship and she was struggling to put food on the table for her teenagers so she came to food bank she said when I'm in a better place I'll come back and volunteer and she did

she came back as a volunteer as the cafe has developed and we were able to employ somebody Kat got the job and she's now employed full time she's a star so Kat came here in need and now runs it for you day to day and helps everyone else

you know what's great about that she'll get it, she'll understand when people come in because she's been in that position she's got that empathy with people that come in. So the cafe actually, we also are going to pay it forward scheme so we can give vouchers to people to come in and get a prepaid meal

that somebody else has thankfully donated for them. That's amazing. And Kat gets that. Of course, so there'll be absolutely no judgment and she'll know. It's weirdly a sort of success story as well as a kind of look. I know times are tough at the minute, but look at me now kind of thing. I got through it.

You got through it as well. Brilliant. Now, we've got the cafe. What other kind of things do you run? I've heard about a shed. The shed, yes. I'm interested because I'm a man and I like sheds. Yeah, okay.

So what we saw was there was men coming to food bank and they were saying to us there's nowhere for men to go we can either go to the bookies or we can go to the pub right they were struggling financially so either of those places we didn't want them to go to either of them so when we were in australia my husband and i we had seen men's sheds over in australia and very very popular so my husband actually left the job that he was doing at the time and set up the men's shed. Right.

It's developed now. So you let the lasses in. So we let the lasses in. Brilliant. So it's a mixed gender shed now. So it's, yeah. Typical. It's just the shed.

We can't have anything. We cannot have anything. You get enough, man. What happens in the shed? Stays in the shed? Yes, usually. What does happen in the shed? Stays in the shed? Yes, usually. What does happen in the shed? What does happen?

I'm so intrigued. The shed started off really because we recognise that men don't talk face to face, but they will talk shoulder to shoulder. Right. So us women, we'll go out and have a coffee and cake and share everything that's going on. Men don't talk that. You're so right. It's like you're inside my head, yeah?

You're totally right. Yeah. So the shed started off as a place where men could get together. going on men don't talk that's like you're inside my head yeah you're totally right yeah so the the shed started off as a place where men could get together and as they're working they will share what's going on in their lives we know without a shadow of a doubt that the shed has saved at least four men's lives um so you know it's just that opportunity for people to talk and to have a different purpose in life. So what happens in there? So it's set up as a woodworking shed.

All the benches, all the tools, lathes, all sorts of things. So you just come and tinker on? Yeah. They sort of make their own, come with their own ideas what they want to do. There's always people there to help and support and show them how to use the tools or if they don't know what they want to do, then ideas of what they can make.

Great. That's phenomenal. Yeah. It is a fantastic project. Well, it's great, obviously, because it's almost like making stuff with your hands in that kind of situation. It's almost like a meditation.

It's almost like a therapy. It's almost like a therapy. That's the word I'm looking for. And it's that sense of, you know, it builds your self-esteem, doesn't it? If you've made something and it's good and you can take it away. Honestly, if I've hung a picture straight in the house, I've got a skimmy step for the rest of the day,

so I can't imagine how I actually made something. Put an IKEA furniture together, that's about the end of my talent i think yeah but yeah the women came in to learn diy initially brilliant so you know how to hang that picture exactly yeah so you don't have to rely on workmen coming in or so yeah no yeah that's brilliant that's good and alongside that we've also got an art an art group as well because not everybody wants to do woodwork. Yeah. So we have an art group as well that runs for the more crafty people.

Love that. I'm getting right into crafts at the minute. My seven-year-old is really enjoying crafts, isn't he? Yeah. I love it. You do as well. We end up, like, colouring in, you know, on a night time. But then the kids will start playing and we'll still be sat there.

Oh, yeah. He'll be over watching the telly and I'm finishing up some picture and I've been absolutely gypped here it is like therapy though it is you'll have to get one of those adult

the adult colouring books yes I would love that there you go Christmas present stock and filler please oh okay babadoo babadoo babadoo

bah we've already aired a beef with each other this morning believe it or not at 7 o'clock this morning we had a beef with each other we had an argument yes we've been have you got one Ruth we've been told that you might have a beef with your husband this morning. Believe it or not, at seven o'clock this morning, we had a beef with each other. We had an argument, yes.

Have you got one, Ruth? We've been told that you might have a beef with your husband right now. And it's the best kind of beef because he's not here to defend himself. I know, I'm just going to have to make sure he doesn't listen to this, aren't I? You'll be fine, man, you'll be fine.

Nothing he can do. So my husband is retired. Yeah. So he does all the cooking at home, which is absolutely fantastic. Right. But... God, you really are the CEO of here and your house don't let him hear you say that

I'm writing down some tips here no no no put that phone away while we're eating our evening meal he will say to me and what do you want for tea tomorrow and I'm like I don't know I'm just eating a meal now you don't know do you want for tea tomorrow? I'm like, I don't know, I'm just eating a meal now. You know,

you don't know what you want. Right, yes. I'm going to, I'm not on your side here, I'm afraid. I'm like that. I need to know. I don't know why

I do it at breakfast, you know. I do it at breakfast and say to him what we're having for dinner. Well, Jeff was, yeah, honestly. What's wrong with us?

Rosie will do it after a meal like you've had where it's like the last mouthful is going in and you go what do you want for tea tonight

and you go what what what is wrong with you I'm always thinking I think about food as soon as I wake up you know

I do I get so excited about what I'm having for dinner it's ridiculous absolutely ridiculous do you know what I get it

it is annoying but he is just trying to be organised absolutely he is I think he's terrified of to be organised because do you know what I think he's terrified of you I don't think that's the case I'll have it on the plate

when you get in I'll have it on the plate I know you're busy I know you're doing important work please I'm sorry it's boredom man yeah

look at your look at your mum and dad retired bored really yeah too much time on their hands you're jealous of them as well

I'm massively jealous you're jealous of my kids you're jealous of them as well? I'm massively jealous. You're jealous of my kids, you're jealous of my parents. You're pathetic. I am. Can't wait to be retired, me. Ruth, it's been absolutely wonderful talking to you.

Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you so much for having us. Such incredible and important work. That's great, thank you. And I'm sure everyone in the community is just so, so grateful for all of the great things that you do. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas to you as well. What are you having for your tea tomorrow night? Ask Geoff. So as we're sitting here in the cafe today, the dementia support group around the corner, you might have heard them all talking and chattering on.

Now we are joined by Carol, who you run the group. Yes. Is that correct? That's correct. Along with a lady called Norma. You and Norma run, and you're both volunteers. Yes. Is that correct? That's correct. Along with a lady called Norma. You and Norma run, and you're both volunteers. Yes. Yeah.

So what is it exactly that the group does? What do you do for the people who come in? We're a little bit not like a traditional dementia support group, I suppose, because people expect those type of groups to have everything planned. You know, we'll have music, we'll have this, and that's lovely. And ours is just always being from day one, let's just sit and have a natter. Yeah.

Nice. You know, I've done the bring the dominoes, bring the this, which is great and stimulating, but it's just sort of turned itself into a natter group. Oh, I love that. With not just the people who are living with the condition, but also their partners. Amazing. The partners can come on where we have one lady that comes

because her husband doesn't want to come. I think he doesn't quite understand the group, so why push him? So she just comes for the support and the friendship and the chat. But I can imagine she would need the support as well. Because it's hard to meet somebody who's living with somebody. Well, it is sort of more about the carers, isn't it? Because you get to a certain level with the dementia

and you're maybe not aware that it's a struggle. And, you know, it is the carers that are having to, say, carry that load sounds awful, but that has all the worries. Oh, gosh, yeah. And I think we've all experienced it somewhere along our lives I think. We've all known somebody who's had dementia at some point and it is hard. It is always hard

for the carer so it's a wonderful thing that you do. Like I said, people think it's just a fixed way of running a group and until they come and the first time they come and say, oh it's just like sitting in a cafe having a natter. Just a casual. Yeah, that's probably less daunting to be faced. Just coming to the cafe, nice bit of coffee, bit of lovely toast

and just having a chat. Not structured, not like, now we're doing this, now we're doing that. That's right. But if somebody, if one of the carers said they were struggling with something and there was one that wanted to talk to someone about finances and stuff, so then we'll ring the relevant people

to help our guests. So it's not as if we're not dealing with any issues that people might have. Just as and when they arise. Exactly. Perfect. And so you run that from the cafe itself here? Yeah, we're normally sitting up here. Are you trying to say that we've took your space?

Yeah. We're getting right in the way, aren't we? Been in other venues before which were great but not quite right whereas this is perfect I love it Tea was lovely as well We've just had a cheese scone

Well, no It was a cheese scone in a straw Oh my gosh It was still hot And I don't even like cheese It was warm and it was just delicious

and I thought She claims she doesn't like cheese Ask if she likes pizza Like pizza? I do like pizza Ask if she likes cheese on toast pizza? I do like pizza. Ask if she likes cheese on toast. Cheese on toast?

Cheese toasties? I do like cheese toasties. This is what the hell's going on. Cheese on jackets? Jacket potatoes? Eh, probably. Brilliant. I just don't like blocks of cheese. Like, they're dead smell.

No one likes blocks of cheese, man. Some people eat it out of their fridge. Straight from the fridge. Me and my mum would do that with a bite mark on. Like a square apple. Yeah. Please don't have a domestic in mind. Well, straight from the fridge. Me and my mum would do that with a bite more. Like a square apple. Yeah. Please don't have a domestic in mind.

Well, speaking of domestics, so we always ask anyone who comes to the live show or comes to the TV show or anything to do with the podcast, we always ask, what's your beef now? Do you have a beef in your life

with anyone in your life? What time do we shut? I was trying to, isn't it funny, day to day, it drives you crackers, but when you're going to be asked

the question you think well I can't the only thing and it sounds pathetic when my partner's used a knife butter

jam everything often jam with buffalo juice and just puts it on the kitchen table and walks away

as if he lives on his own got a few problems here with this automatically. Are we talking same knife for butter and jam? Yeah, yeah. Get him in prison. Oh, that would drive you mad, wouldn't it? Over Christmas, preferably.

For Christmas. Lovely, quiet Christmas. I mean, everything, it's brilliant. It does everything. Slithers of butter in the jam make me want to cry my eyes out. Oh, gosh. And how long have you been, are you married? Well, we've only been together 33 years because I don't know whether I like him.

Only 33 years. We're not married, no. We're not married. But 33 years, has he been doing this for 33 years? You've got to be sure. Most probably, yeah. I know, but that's what I've said. Oh, we got married after a year.

Worst decision ever, man. I mean, that's offensive I've said we got married after you, worst decision ever that's offensive sitting right here Carol thank you very much thank you and there you go, hope you all enjoyed our little chat with Ruth and the gang from the Footprints Cafe in Redcar

it was a really lovely morning, thoroughly enjoyed it yeah and just nice to see how hard they're all working especially this time to help loads of people it was really I don't know it made us feel really proud

very humbling yeah and in the northeast as well people helping out helping each other community getting together yeah it's really really lovely it's tragic that it has to happen yeah

but I just always have so much respect for people who give up so much it takes so much time to run these sort of organisations yeah and I've just got I've just got so much respect for them who give up so much it takes so much time to run these sort of organizations um and i've just got i've got so much respect for them well ruth's sorry man her husband makes all this scran at home dinner's on the table when she comes in because she's the ceo

hey baby ceo it's a nice reminder as well to um everyone if you are in a position where you can you know donate anything at the minute i think it's always just a good reminder because you you get swept up at this time of year there's so much going on that selfishly you don't always think about other people yeah and what's going on there so i just think it's a good time to go you know what i need to do that i need to do if i've got anything spare or you know to a food bank or anything like that yeah and it was so nice for footprints as well to see a national lottery funded uh project right on our doorstep making such a difference awesome stuff so by playing the national lottery you are helping bring people together at christmas

just like ruth from footprints in the community it is truly amazing what national lottery players do for people thank you cheers guys