Christmas day lunch at the Town Hall
Monday October 31, 2011
Once again, up to three hundred of the borough's older residents who usually spend the festive season alone will celebrate Christmas Day together at Hammersmith Town Hall this year.
The council's annual Christmas Day lunch has been running for over twenty years, offering people over 60 who would be alone the chance to come together for roast turkey with all the trimmings. H&F is the only council in the country to provide such a Christmas Day meal.
For the first time ever this year’s event is being sponsored by Parnham’s Funfairs. Parnham’s are also sponsoring this Saturday’s fireworks display at Ravenscourt Park and provided the funfair at the recent PlayDay event.
Nevertheless, the council is still on the lookout for any individuals or local companies who may be able to provide donations, food, gifts or their time. Last year gifts and monetary donations from over 40 companies and numerous individuals in the borough helped the council to deliver a Christmas meal to remember and presents for all the guests.
Over 100 volunteers contributed to the day itself last year; from serving Christmas lunch, making sure the guests have everything they need and even joining in with a dance. All volunteer help is invaluable and without their enthusiasm and support, the Christmas Day party would not be possible.
Cllr Joe Carlebach, cabinet member for community care, 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 the council will once again hold our annual Christmas Day lunch party for older people who would otherwise spend Christmas alone. We rely heavily on the support of residents and businesses who donate or volunteer to make this special event possible and to me this truly demonstrates the spirit of Christmas. We are absolutely delighted to have Parnham’s as our sponsor this year and cannot thank them enough for their support. However, the council is still funding the majority of this event and despite these tough economic times, we believe that this investment that is truly worth making.”
All potential guests must complete an application form which is available from the events team by calling 020 8753 2135 or email events@lbhf.gov.uk.
If you would like to donate something towards the Christmas Day lunch, either a cash donation towards the event, gifts for the pensioners or volunteer your time, please email events@lbhf.gov.uk or call 020 8753 2135 or fill out the relevant form linked below and send it back to us at The Events Team, 1st Floor ,77 Glenthorne road W6 0LJ.
volunteer form (pdf) - download and post back
vounteer form (word doc) - can be filled in online, saved and emailed back to us
