Chip shop volunteers deliver more than 1,000 free meals on Boxing Day

Staff from a family-owned chip shop helped deliver more than a thousand free meals and essential supplies to people in need on Boxing Day.

Along with local volunteers, workers from Victoria Fish Bar in Whitchurch, Cardiff, distributed around 1,070 meals to hospitals, homeless centres, emergency services and people on the streets, making it the largest in the initiative's seven-year history.

What began as a small gesture to support people spending Christmas alone has grown into a major community-led effort, powered by dozens of volunteers and generous local suppliers.

Jawad Nazakat, whose family own the shop, said the scale of this year's effort was unprecedented.

"We've been doing it for the past seven years, and this one was the biggest by far," he told BBC Radio Wales.

"We had 40 or 50 volunteers who were our customers or part of the community, and on top of that, we had even more support from our suppliers.

"It was a massive project from top down."

Volunteers delivered meals to Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales, Llandough Hospital, the Huggard Centre, ambulance and fire stations, and throughout the city centre.

Donations of clothes, toiletries and food were also distributed to people experiencing homelessness, with the majority going to the Huggard Centre.

Despite the rising cost of living affecting businesses and households alike, Mr Nazakat said support from suppliers and the local community was stronger than ever.

"We had more support from our suppliers, even though they're making less," he said.

"We had more support from our community, even though they're struggling more. It just shows that, in times of need, people are there to help even if they're in need themselves.

"It was so nice to see the community come together in such a powerful way, especially in this sort of time where people are seen to be, you know, individualistic.

"It's not always the case, you just need that community spirit and you can see crazy things happen."

While the family does not celebrate Christmas, giving back was an important part of their faith as Muslims, Mr Nazakat said.