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Neston Community Christmas Dinner Returned in 2021 After COVID-19 Halted Christmas 2020

After missing out in 2020, the fantastic volunteers did things a bit differently this year and took the community Christmas dinner to the pub.

COVID-19 may have stopped plans in their tracks in 2020, but the team of volunteers who organise the Neston Community Christmas Dinner could not be stopped in 2021. They decided to do things a bit differently this year and booked a pub/restaurant and the Old Quay in Parkgate was the perfect venue.

All guests and volunteers were asked to take a lateral flow test before attending, to make sure everybody was kept as safe as possible.

Volunteer Louise Irvine, said: "We had fifteen guests on the day including two young children and we wanted to make it a great Christmas Day for all of them. We had set up a GoFundMe page and the donations came flooding in, many thanks go to everybody who shared the page. We smashed our target and were able to completely fund the event thanks to all the donations and the donation from local Cheshire West and Chester Council, Member for Parkgate, Councillor Martin Barker's Members' fund, meaning we still have funds towards the 2022 event." £75 in donations for the Charles Thompson's Mission, was also raised on the day.

Guests all arrived thanks to the help of Bob and Pat Kynaston, Philip Jackson and Andy Irvine. Lunch was served and all guests enjoyed their meals but most of all they had a chance to socialise, something they have been unable to do during the pandemic. One of our guests couldn't attend and but we were able to deliver his dinner to him, thanks to volunteer Andy.

The best part of the day was seeing the look on the faces of the children when they saw that Santa had been and delivered presents to the pub for them.

Santa was very busy, but still managed to deliver gifts to the Old Quay in Parkgate. All our guests went home with a gift and a goodie bag. We would like to thank the staff and children of Neston Primary School for taking the time to make serviette rings and candle holders for all our guests, they were very much appreciated. Everybody went home happy and smiling and we were all thankful that we were able to hold our event for the seventh year.

The staff and children of Neston Primary School made candle holders for all of our guests. Louise continues: "Our thanks go to The Old Quay for helping us host this event and to our usual volunteers and organisers who put so much work in before the day and on the day: Emily Spearing, Dave Truelove, Louise and Andy Irvine and Alex Rigby, Pat and Bob Kynaston for providing transport, Philip Jackson for kindly volunteering to bring one of our guests and to Nicola Cottrell who I'm sure will become a regular volunteer and was an absolute star on the day."

Volunteers Emily, Louise, Dave, Andy, Alex and Nicola.

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Comments

merrymac

At 12:04 on 13th January 2022, merrymac commented:

Louise and all the volunteers, I've been asked by a lady who attended your welcome Christmas meal to thank you all ,as she doesn't do computers

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