We continue our series of blogs about reopening our venue and welcoming you in a COVID-safe environment. We spoke to Sou Manhsinh, our Sales and Events Supervisor, about her experience on reopening and finally getting that event buzz back.

Can you tell us a little bit more about your role?
I sell our lovely meeting rooms here at Friends House. I also help our customers coordinate their events and assist them on-site. It’s great to know that my work contributes to the greater good too, as all our profits go towards charitable work (to Britain Yearly Meeting, the charity of Quakers in Britain).

How long have you been working at Friends House?
Just over five years.

How did you feel about reopening?
I was really excited; it was good to see that customers were eager to meet again face to face. It’s nice seeing different faces other than our staff. We have all seen each other way too much, on and off-screen. We need to see new faces!

How are enquiries looking at the moment?
It’s a mixed bag, with a lot of variations from small meetings to large events. But it looks like things are looking up. However, it’s different each day and that’s what I enjoy!

Do customers ask a lot of questions in relation to COVID-safety?
Yes and we reassure them that we have all the procedures in place. Such as social distancing, ventilation and PPE. All our rooms have windows and natural light coming through, which is a very strong point for us.

Have you had to learn many new things regarding COVID-safety?
Yes, there’s a lot of things to think about, that’s for sure. But these procedures are here to keep us all safe. We did have a very thorough training as a team prior to reopening in May. As we had also reopened in 2020, we knew what to expect. 

Looking at the past, what has been your most exciting event/moment so far at Friends House?
We held large events such as graduations and it was really fun working alongside the organisers in order to make their event happen. It was such a joy to see all the students graduate and enjoy themselves at an event that we had helped organise.

Which kind of events are you looking forward to host in the future?
Definitely events that can host more than 30+ delegates! So, the ability to host large events again is great. I’m really looking forward to working on them soon. I have really missed the buzz and excitement of an event day in Friends House.

We would love to have you back in Friends House. You can make a booking enquiry via our form or contact the team (including Sou) directly via email: events@quaker.org.uk. See you soon in Euston!