ONCE again, Core Church extends a warm welcome to the community to join them for a free festive feast on Christmas Day at Melksham Assembly Hall.
The annual Christmas celebration, now in its tenth year, will take place from 11am. Over 100 guests and helpers are already booked in!
There will be carols and refreshments in the morning followed by a free traditional turkey or vegetarian Christmas dinner with all the trimmings at 1pm. Once again the turkey will be generously supplied by I. D. Newman and Sons Butchers in Church Street.
There will time to relax and enjoy the day afterwards, and guests are welcome to attend for part or all of the day. There is no charge but donations are welcome and the organisers ask that you notify them in advance so they cook enough food.
Core Church founding-member, Gavin Owen said, “We want to do whatever we can to make it possible for people to be here, so don’t let anything put you off. The invitation really is for everyone – old or young, rich or poor, on your own or with friends and family. If you or anyone you know would like to join Core Church on Christmas Day at Melksham Assembly Hall, you can book your place by calling or texting 07788 446567. Alternatively, pop into Newman’s Butchers, the Town Hall or the Assembly Hall and let them have your name and contact number and they will pass your details on to us.”
Just as the number of guests has increased over the years, so has the number of offers of help. If you’re interested in getting involved, there are many ways you can contribute.
Gavin continued, “We set up the Assembly Hall on Christmas Eve between 10am and midday. It’s a good opportunity for people to come along who can’t be there on Christmas Day but still want to help out. Furniture needs to be arranged, tables need to be covered, places laid and all with the same care you would take at home.
“In terms of Christmas Day itself, what we’re primarily looking for is people who would like to join us for the whole day and have their Christmas dinner with us. It’s not waiters and waitresses we want, but guests who will take on the responsibility of serving the other people at their table. Our aim is to create the atmosphere of a big family meal, not a restaurant.
“We offer transport to anyone who needs help getting to the Assembly Hall. For some years now Leszan Travel have kindly helped out by providing a minibus but we usually need three or four cars on top of that. The only restrictions are that anyone offering to drive needs to have a CRB or DBS certificate that we can see and they need to be able to collect their passengers in time to have them at the Assembly Hall for 11am.
“We start the mammoth task of washing-up at about 3.30pm and begin to pack away the hall about an hour later so that we’re finished by about 5.30pm.
“If you can’t join us in person there are still other ways to contribute. Every year people ask if they can donate to the Christmas dinner. Some people want to make a financial donation whilst others would like to buy something. If you get in touch, we can let you know how to give and what we need.
“If you need picking up or dropping off, free transport can be arranged.
“Are you housebound? No problem, let us know and we can bring a Christmas dinner to you.
“Do you have special dietary requirements? A vegetarian option is available and if you have any other special dietary requirements, we will do our best to cater for you.”
If you would like to help, call or text Gavin on 07788 446567. For more information, visit the website at www.melksham.christmas
