Volunteers bring Christmas lunch to those alone

Volunteers helped older people who would otherwise have spent Christmas Day alone celebrate with a festive meal.

About 70 people had a two-course Christmas lunch provided by the Wokingham-based Link Visiting Scheme at the Wade Day Centre in the town, with another 50 receiving one delivered to their home.

Marjie Walker, the charity's chief executive, said it was "overwhelmed" by volunteers wanting to make a difference to people on Thursday, the 14th time it has run the scheme on Christmas Day.

"Christmas can be tricky for all sorts of people, not just older people, so I think people appreciate doing something really meaningful and purposeful and coming together," she added.

"We see Christmas as a time when people are with family, they are with their friends, it's a time to be together," she said.

"But for a lot of older people who maybe don't have family now or are living on their own and they can't get out, Christmas can be quite a difficult time of the year."

Volunteer Claire Garner said she was pleased to meet and greet the charity's guests at the Wade Day Centre, having been a table host at last year's gathering.

"I decided one Christmas that it meant more to me to do something good and give something back and it's the most magical, wonderful day," she said.

"It really makes me feel happy to see everyone who would ordinarily be on their own having such a wonderful time and meeting up with friends."