A Happy Christmas for 300 at Hammersmith Town Hall

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Volunteers help make a special lunch for local pensioners

More than 300 of the borough’s pensioners were able to celebrate Christmas Day together, thanks to the time and generosity of volunteers and local businesses.

Hammersmith & Fulham Council has been organising a special Christmas Day lunch at the Town Hall for more than 20 years, offering people who may have no family living nearby a place to come together for roast turkey with all the trimmings, Christmas presents and entertainment.

Thanks to the generous support of local businesses and volunteers, guests were chauffeured from their homes to the Town Hall where they were greeted with a drink and a traditional Christmas lunch.

Cllr Greg Smith, H&F Council deputy leader, said: "Christmas is a time for families to be together. Unfortunately not all of us are lucky enough to have friends or family around. That is why we host our annual Christmas Day lunch party for older people who would otherwise spend the day alone.

"We rely on the support of volunteers to make this special event possible and to me this truly demonstrates the spirit of Christmas."

With a whopping 1,500 sprouts to boil, 60 kilos of turkey to cook, 500 stuffing balls to prepare and a massive 15 kilos of custard needed for the trifle, there was plenty of work for the volunteers.

They come from all walks of life and all have one aim in common – to make the Christmas experience memorable for pensioners who may otherwise have to spend the day alone.

 

January 3, 2013