Enjoying Christmas lunch
For the third year running, St Mary’s Ferndown brought Christmas cheer to local residents who would otherwise have spent Christmas alone. A Christmas Day lunch attracted over 40 guests. This year, sponsorship from Waitrose in Wimborne was warmly welcomed by organisers, John and Lynne Ewins, who are certain the lunch meets a hidden need in the community.
“One guest complimented our team on the meal, adding it was the first time she had shared a meal with anyone all year. Another guest, a centenarian, said she was certain she would have been sitting home alone instead of enjoying a delicious meal out with nice company.”
Tables were decorated by volunteer Valerie Rossiter who also helped provide after-dinner musical entertainment, along with Wimborne choral tenors, Dave Burch and Hector Mackenzie-Wintle. Everyone watched the Queen’s speech afterwards, for which Her Majesty received a solid round of applause.
John and Lynne Ewins were pleased to see some couples who felt they could not have coped with the preparation of a Christmas lunch, for various reasons. They all joined in with the other guests like one big family.
Lynne and John Ewins receive a share of community sponsorship funds from Alison Good, Local Co-Ordination Manager at Waitrose
Of the 48 people due to attend the lunch, a few were too ill to venture out on the day, so volunteers ensured the Christmas fayre was delivered to them instead.
At the end, Lynne was surprised and delighted to announce that additional donations meant the Christmas Lunch Party would be able to present a gift to CAP (Christians Against Poverty) based at the Turbary Resource Centre in Heatherlands, so keeping the Christmas goodwill flowing to other local people in need.
John and Lynne and their team are already planning another Christmas Day lunch for 2015, by which time the new Beacon Centre at St Mary’s Church, should be built.
