THE ORGANISERS of a popular Christmas lunch for lonely people on December 25 have stressed that there are no plans to ‘cancel Christmas’ this year.

Kirsty Reynolds said she wanted to scotch rumours that she and her mum Jackie would not be staging their Christmas lunch at Fairplace Church this year.

She said the event was very much still on, from noon to 4pm on Christmas Day in the church hall.

For the past five years, the kind-hearted mother and daughter have held their Eat, Drink and Be Together event in the hall, bringing together people who would otherwise be alone for a fabulous spread.

Kirsty said: ‘There have been a few rumours going around saying it is not happening this year so we want to let people know that it is definitely going ahead.

‘It all started five years ago because mum and I both work in the Co-op in Okehampton and that year our charity was a British Red Cross appeal on combatting loneliness so we organised the lunches that year to tie in with that.

‘It was only supposed to be one year we were going to do it, but it went so well that we just carried on and this year is our fifth year.’

Kirsty and Jackie hold fundraising events throughout the year to subsidize the cost of the tickets for the event.

The next one will be a bingo night tonight (Friday, November 15) at the Conservative Club in Kempley Road, Okehampton. Doors open at 7.30pm for an 8pm start.

‘We fundraise throughout the year so that we can keep the price of the tickets as low as possible,’ said Kirsty.

‘The majority of the people who come along are elderly so they haven’t got a lot of money. We try to do it so they are not on their own.

‘We do lunch and dessert and some bits they can take away with them.

Quite a lot of those who come along don’t have family nearby and this is their only chance to see anyone.’

The meal will be served as a hot buffet consisting of turkey, meat and gammon which are sourced from AL Martin & Son butchers in Okehampton. Vegetables come from a local fruit and vegetable stall at Hatherleigh Market.

‘My great aunt always makes a couple of trifles for us too,’ said Kirsty, adding that she and her mum did a lot of the food preparation in advance at home on Christmas Eve, including all the vegetables.

‘Once we’ve prepared everything we take it all up to Fairplace Church and then on Christmas Day mum cooks the turkey at home so she can keep an eye on it, then gets over to the hall at 7.30am in the morning and then cooks all the potatoes and vegetables,’ she said.

‘We have got quite a few people who have been coming every year since the first one and we have a few new ones each time. It is so nice that there are people coming every time and they still enjoy it.’

Anyone who would like to come along this year is asked to contact Kirsty on 01837 54338.