Help us provide Christmas lunches for older residents celebrating alone
We’re halfway to hitting our fundraising target to host this year’s H&F Big Christmas lunch. But we still need your help.
Through the incredible generosity of residents, local businesses and organisations, the UNITED in Hammersmith & Fulham charity and H&F Council have now raised more than £14,000 for the H&F Big Christmas Lunch.
But we still need to raise another £14,000 to provide 700 Christmas dinners for older residents who are celebrating alone this year.
“It’s only through the generosity of our residents and businesses that we’re able to provide such an important service at Christmas,” said Cllr Sue Fennimore, Deputy Leader of H&F Council.
“I want to thank anyone who has already donated their time or money to the cause. And rest assured, a donation of any size – no matter how small – will make all the difference this Christmas.”
Hot meals for Christmas
Two in five H&F residents over the age of 60 live alone.
Each Big Christmas Lunch will include a quality, slap-up hot meal cooked by a professional chef from our community, accompanied by a gift bag full of goodies.
They will be delivered by a friendly face in time for Christmas day – come rain, snow or shine – thanks to Fulham charity The Smile Brigade and its team of volunteers.
H&F’s ground maintenance contractor idverde, Hammersmith-based landscape construction company Shoots and Leaves and Queens Park Rangers football club are just three of the local organisations that have donated sizable amounts to our Big Christmas Lunch appeal.
“Christmas is about giving, and here at Shoots & Leaves we wanted to give something back to the community which has supported us over the past 22 years,” said Hew Stevenson, founder of Shoots and Leaves.
Another big thanks goes to DEBK Fulham Charity and the McGrath Charitable Foundation for their kind support for the lunch.
We need your help
The Big H&F Christmas Lunch brings our community together to help each other. It relies on the generosity of local people, businesses, and charities.
Here’s how your donation will make a difference:
- £200 will pay for five Christmas packages of a delicious lunch and a gift bag
- £40 will pay for one Christmas package of lunch and gifts
- £15 will pay for one Christmas lunch
Or contact Savraj Kaur, executive director of UNITED in Hammersmith & Fulham at [email protected]
Want to volunteer?
The H&F Big Christmas Lunch wouldn’t be possible without the help of local charity The Smile Brigade and its team of volunteers.
They’re asking for extra volunteers to help deliver lunches from 21 December up to Christmas Day on the 25th. Deliveries can be made by foot, bike, or car – however you like.
The Smile Brigade are also looking for volunteers to help write Christmas cards and make festive hampers. Full PPE and volunteer guidelines will be provided and followed.
To volunteer, please visit The Smile Brigade volunteering page or email: [email protected]
Give a present for the gift bags
We also need presents of soaps, shower gels, toothpaste and toilet roll, warm socks, thermal vests, hats and scarfs. Christmas crackers, non-perishable food items, as well as fruit, vegetables, stuffing, gravy, chocolates, Christmas puddings and mince pies, would also be welcomed.
All gifts should be new and unwrapped and will help create a merrier Christmas for elderly residents spending it on their own.
To volunteer or donate a present to make someone else’s Christmas special, please fill in the volunteer sign up form (Google Forms).
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