Volunteers spread Christmas cheer
by Hammersmith and Fulham Press Office
10/12/2008
When you are sat at home on Christmas Day, enjoying another helping of Christmas pudding or an extra glass of red wine, spare a thought for the 100 volunteers who continue to give up their Christmas Day to help Hammersmith and Fulham's pensioners.
The council’s events team has been organising a special Christmas Day lunch at the Town Hall for over twenty 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.
And 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 certainly is plenty of work for the volunteers to do!
Jem Kale, the council’s Event Manager, has been one of the driving forces behind the Christmas Day celebrations for seven years. He said: “Our events team really do put a lot of work into the day but it is all worth it in the end. For me, this event truly demonstrates the spirit of Christmas. I know that the Christmas Day festivities live long in the memories of the those who attend and that makes it all worthwhile to me.”
This year, Leader of the Council, Stephen Greenhalgh will be on hand to serve food and chat to the pensioners. He said: “The Pensioners' Christmas Day lunch at the Town Hall really is one of the highlights of the year for me. The event sums up what Christmas should be all about – helping those in need. I would like to extend my gratitude to all those who volunteer on Christmas Day. Without their help it would simply just not happen. The council's events team also deserve a special thanks for giving up their time and making this wonderful day the success that it is.”
The volunteers 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.
Cyrillia Charles of Fulham Palace Road has been driving the elderly people to the Town Hall for the last six Christmases. She arrives at the bus depot at 8am on Christmas Day to make sure that all the busses are ready.
She said: “I am ferrying people to and from the Town Hall until 4 or 5pm. It is a very busy day but I really enjoy it. It is a very big event for the elderly people and they really look forward to it. I am sure that this Christmas Day will be just as good as all of the others."
Flora Stanbury of St Peter's Square, Hammersmith has been volunteering with her two daughters for the last six years. She said: “We just want to help and it is for such a good cause. I can’t think of a better way to spend Christmas Day. We really enjoy meeting the elderly people who come from all walks of life. We help to bring them into the hall and once lunch is finished we enjoy a dance with them.”
Pat Oldman, of Hayden Park Road, Shepherds Bush, has been serving food at the Christmas Day lunch for the last eight years. She said: “I love helping out and it gives me a really good feeling. I get there at about 10.30am on the day and stay until the very end. It really is wonderful to see all the pensioners with a smile on their faces. There is a brilliant community spirit and that is what Christmas is all about.”
