We wanted to say a big thank you to Positive, Richmond’s best (we’re biased!) digital marketing agency. Responding to a call to support on Facebook, they’ve come up trumps for us, designing and printing the party invite for our young guests plus flyers to help us spread the word. They’ll also be providing the huge real Christmas tree for the day (but not this site or the social media as they were already up and running by our volunteers!)
Thanks Positive!
Thank you so much. Your kindness is overwhelming.
Our very own Sian Thomas took the hot seat for an interview with the Radio Jackie team this week. It will be played out over the next two months. We’re incredibly grateful to Lucy and Susan for all their help in spreading the Christmas Day Dinner message. We’ll all be glued to the radio now.
Radio Jackie launch clip 28 October
We would love to express our huge thanks to @coopUK who have kindly agreed to donate fabulous food hampers to Richmond care leavers. We really appreciate it and we know this gesture will be valued by all of our guests who will be able to enjoy fully stocked cupboards after Christmas. x
I got involved with The Christmas Day Dinner because of an email circulated by Sian at work. I will start by saying that my decision to become involved is because I am an ingrate!
I looked after my mother for several years and when her Dementia/ Alzheimer’s, became too much for me to handle on my own, I had to put her in a Nursing Home.
She has been there for a couple of years now and during Christmas I usually go to my son’s or brother’s home for Christmas Day. But I really don’t want to be “taken care of” at this time of year – though I know they do not view it in that way.
I LOVE my little family, but I am ridiculously independent and proud, and this is a way for me to do my own thing and them to know that I will not be alone (far from it!) on Christmas Day. I am really looking forward to the day and hope my poor contribution to the event will be of some help.
Several years ago I was listening to a radio programme discussing care leavers and in particular what was an ‘appropriate’ age for them to leave care and fend for themselves. (Do any of us ever feel ready for that?!)
I was full of admiration for these young people, many of whom had overcome an extremely difficult start in life.
So when I heard about this brilliant initiative I jumped at the chance to help provide the Christmas extravaganza they deserve!
Together let’s spread the joy of Christmas! It’s our chance to show we care.
Everything happens because of our wonderful volunteers. We would love you to get involved with the Richmond Christmas Day Dinner in so many ways:
Could you make a donation to the event or perhaps volunteer to join one of the committees we are setting up? If you can, please email christmasdayrichmond@gmail.com and get in touch – we’d love to hear from you.
Sign up to our Easy Fundraising programme to donate while on-line shopping
Follow us on social media and spread the word. You’ll find the latest updates and how to help on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
“I have previously volunteered and spent time working with older people around the festive period and have always found it to be extremely important to tackle isolation.
My current role now involves working with children and this project sounded too good to not be a part of.
I love our steering group – it’s a great thing to be involved with and we hope to provide a fantastic Christmas to as many young people as possible.”
“Christmas has always been a big thing for me, spending time with family, laughing, eating, drinking and generally over-indulging on everything good and bad! I have always appreciated what I have because I know that not everyone is as fortunate to have such a close family to make those memories with.
Even the fraught moments, when it looks like it’s all going belly up in the kitchen….or the countless hours spent building Lego dragons! So, when I saw Sian’s post about getting involved to make Christmas Day special for others, I wanted to do what I could to help.
Even if it’s just time, I think so many of us have so much to give, but don’t always know where to channel that help, so this was the perfect solution.
I’m beyond excited to be part of such a eclectic group of volunteers, all with a common goal in mind – sourcing a venue, decorations, gifts and food, to ensure that care leavers in our community have the Christmas Day they should have; full of love, warmth and wonderful memories.”
Fifty vulnerable young people from Richmond are going to receive a once in a lifetime Christmas Day, thanks to a project inspired by Lemn Sissay MBE, a care leaver, and the official poet from the 2012 Olympic Games.
The Christmas Day Dinner will come to Richmond Borough for the first time, after Sissay galvanised members of the local community to provide a Christmas Day for care leavers (those who have left foster care) aged between 18 and 25.
The organisers need a volunteer chef and a maitre d’ who would love to cook and offer their services to help make this event one our care leavers won’t forget. Could this be you?
We’re planning a full Christmas Day dinner with all the trimmings. The majority of the produce, including quality meat and veg, has already been donated by local suppliers. We have a great venue with parking in KT1 that has catered for weddings previously. It has a kitchen with access to two catering ovens.
We’ll have a team of 25 hosts and helpers to prep, serve and wash up, making the day as fun and stress-free as possible. If transport’s an issue, we’ll get you there and home too.
Lemn’s vision is to ensure this is not just a normal Christmas Day but a once in a lifetime event. Guests are picked up by taxi, driven to a top-notch venue, served the best food from a great chef, and handed a goodie bag with top-drawer goods.
If you are interested and available on Christmas Day please can you contact us on:
christmasdayrichmond@gmail.com
Interested Chefs will need to provide a CV and references.
Great news from Colette and the Food Committee today as she has confirmed that Twickenham’s Bruce the Butcher is the latest company to support the Christmas Day Dinner, an event to bring the perfect Christmas Day to 50 young people from Richmond who have just left care homes.
For all the details of Christmas Day Richmond and how you can get involved click here
Based on Staines Road, Bruce the Butcher has been incredibly generous and has agreed to supply all the turkeys for the dinner. He is a local family butcher who cares about families.
The goal is to mobilise the resources and generosity of the local people and businesses to put on a scrumptious and magical Christmas Day Dinner. The event will create a special day for people who may never have had that experience or even more, had very negative experiences at Christmas, to create new memories and bring people together as one ‘family’.
Bruce the Butcher, 332 Staines Road, Twickenham TW2 5AT
Welcome to the Richmond Christmas Day Dinner 2022 