Free Christmas party for the hungry in Wolverhampton

Maria McKellar, who has become a familiar face in Wolverhampton for dishing out food to the homeless and hungry, will be holding the Christmas dinner on December 17.

The event will be at St Mary and St John's Church in Snow Hill from 1.30pm to 4pm.

Maria said a Sikh individual in the city had agreed to cook a chicken curry for those attending, with a mosque and other charitable organisations providing other food.

She said anybody who was in need was welcome to turn up on the day.

"As far as I'm concerned if you're going to come here and queue up to get a free meal, then you're eligible," she said.

"We're inviting the homeless, sofa surfers, people experiencing a bit of hardship, it may mean you will have more money to spend on presents for your family.

"In all the time I have been doing this, there has only ever been one person who has taken advantage."

The 60-year-old IT consultant founded A Future For All, which operates an outdoor soup kitchen next to the Prince Albert statue in Wolverhampton's Queen Square four nights a week.

She says there has been a sharp increase in the number of people using her services in recent months, with as many as 70 people queuing up for free food.

Maria largely funds the operation out of her own pocket, although she receives donations from local businesses and charities.

“We’ve got the cost of the meals down to about 75p each,” she says.

“It was 50p, which shows how much the cost of everything has risen.

“I will keep on going as long as I am able to do so.

“I believe, as a Christian, that every time I give, something comes along for me. When my urn broke, somebody came along and gave me a new one.”