Community Christmas - £800 to support a Christmas lunch for isolated elderly people

Christmas is a time for celebration with family and friends but for many elderly people it can be a time of great loneliness if relatives don’t live locally or are spending their time elsewhere. However, to make sure those isolated in the district could enjoy the festivities, Community Christmas, working with Christians Together in the Newbury Area, organised a freshly cooked lunch and put on a variety of entertainment on Christmas Day at St George’s Church Hall, Wash Common in 2009.

Organiser Caroline Billington said: “On Christmas Day we want to reduce loneliness by providing a safe place to go for good food and a social environment. And there will be a small, but useful, gift and a few luxury food items for guests to take away so that the positive memory lasts a bit longer.” All the staffing was through volunteers – pre-event organising, setting up on Christmas Eve and during Christmas day (drivers before and after at the event). “The event could not go ahead without the kind support we have received from business sponsors providing either funds or services including Greenham Common Trust,” added Mrs Billington.