Bridgnorth comes together to deliver 200 Christmas dinners to lonely folk

Volunteers in Bridgnorth helped to deliver more than 200 meals to lonely or isolated people on Christmas Day, the final tally has revealed.

Churches Together Bridgnorth are delivering Meals on Wheels on Christmas Day. L-R: Rosemary Anderson, Judith Tranter, Derek Bartlett, Tony Roddy, Bonita Kingsmith, Anne Reidy, Veronica Roddy

The Bridgnorth Churches Together at Christmas scheme has been going for ten years now, and despite Covid, the group have managed to give out meals on wheels to people in and around the town.

Scrumptious Christmas dinners were cooked up and food donated free of charge by Mike & Sarah's Family Butchers on Whitburn Street, Bridgnorth.

The team of eight cooks whipped up a storm in the kitchen on Christmas morning, and more than 30 volunteer drivers headed out to spread a bit of Christmas cheer with good food.

Derek Bartlett, from Bridgnorth, organises the scheme. He said it has been a real community effort this year.

"It started with a group guys praying and the idea came and felt like an answer to prayer," he said. "We wanted to put on a fantastic Christmas dinner and for the last eight years we have done so, in various locations, including the Castle Hall with big round tables and banquet style.

Churches Together Bridgnorth delivering meals on wheels on Christmas Day. From left are Bonita Kingsmith, Rosemary Anderson, Veronica Roddy, Tony Roddy, Judith Tranter, Derek Bartlett, Anne Reidy

"The purpose of Together at Christmas is trying to find folk who might not have had a good time, and may be lonely or isolated. We locate them and give them a great Christmas dinner.

"This year is a bit different as we will be doing home deliveries instead due to Covid. Mike and Sarah's Butchers in Bridgnorth have kindly offered to cook the food, and not only that but have donated it free of charge.

"They will cook it up and put it in containers, which we will collect tomorrow and distribute."

With the meal, people also get a goodie bag. Derek explained that because this time of year can be difficult, some people may not even have received a Christmas card.

So all the junior schools in Bridgnorth have been making hand drawn and hand written cards to go in the goodie bags.

He added: "We are trying to help people feel as thought they are cared for on Christmas Day. It is a real community effort – we have even had more than 200 donations of biscuit boxes to give out.

"It's not just the churches in Bridgnorth, but about 50 per cent of people involved are not Christians, it's all the community coming together.

"We have 30 drivers taking meals across Bridgnorth, Much Wenlock, Broseley and even a couple in Shifnal, and also in Highley."