Charity to provide hundreds of Christmas meals

A charitable organization is preparing to cook and deliver hundreds of complimentary Christmas meals to individuals facing difficulties with the cost of living. A volunteer team from the Telford and Wrekin Interfaith Council plans to offer over 100 lunches from their Wellington premises to families and those in need on Christmas Day. Chairman Raj Metta expressed his wish to ensure everyone receives a hot meal at Christmas, stating that “unity in the community” is the group’s primary message. “We want to make sure we make that day special for them, for anyone, no one should go without a Christmas meal on Christmas Day,” he said. Mr. Metta described the interfaith council as “one big family.” “Anyone from any background or from any walk of life can approach us for anything they need,” he said. “We can signpost, we can support, we can help, we can be a listening ear.” He noted that Christmas meals would be delivered to people between 10:30 GMT and 12:30 GMT, with a sit-down meal served until 14:30 GMT. “We as an interfaith council always want to make sure on Christmas Day that everyone has a hot meal, whether we deliver it to them or they come and sit down and enjoy Christmas with us in the building,” he said. “We want to make sure we make that day special.” Les Pointer, the interfaith council’s general manager, explained that “everything intensifies” around Christmas, as the charity collaborates with homeless organisations, Mind, Family Connect, and Age UK to guarantee that no one in Telford and Wrekin is without a Christmas meal on Christmas Day. He is also involved in the charity’s Santa sleigh event. “We travel around the borough to children that don’t get out to see Santa – so we take Santa to them,” he said. “Seeing the faces of the children as we go around – hundred and hundreds of children around all the borough – it’s just amazing to see their smiling faces.” For more from BBC Shropshire, follow on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.