Flintshire charity to cook Christmas dinner for 100 people who would otherwise be alone

Kind hearted members of Mold and Buckley Round Table are organising a special Christmas dinner for around 100 people who would otherwise spend Christmas Day alone.

The group are putting on a festive Christmas dinner with all the trimmings at two venues – The Rise in Buckley and the Daniel Owen Centre in Mold.

Chair Colin Devitt said they wanted to provide a day to remember for those who would otherwise be lonely on this special day. He will be cooking up a feast at The Rise in Buckley while Round Table treasurer Eirian Price will be cooking over at the Daniel Owen Centre.

Colin said they felt it important to do this, particularly after a difficult few years due to the Covid pandemic and now the cost of living crisis.

And those coming along to enjoy the festive feast are in for a treat as both Colin and Eirian are professional chefs.

They are now in the process of getting ready for the events and are appealing for anyone who may wish to donate to support them or anyone who would like to come along to get in touch with them either via their Facebook page or by emailing moldandbuckley399@gmail.com. They also have a Go Fund Me page which can be found here.

Colin explained why it was so important for them to put on these special dinners this year, saying: “We know it’s going to be a difficult Christmas for many people.

“There are a number of charities and organisations across Flintshire who are putting plans in place for people who have no money really.

“But the people we are looking to reach can by their very nature be forgotten about. We want to reach out to people who are on their own and we will be putting flyers about this in various places including the Share shop in Mold. Myself and Eirian are going to be cooking on the day.

“Ten years ago I worked in Wetherspoons and we were open for Christmas dinner on Christmas day and the people we had in tended not to have anywhere else to go.

“There were older men and ladies or people in assisted living accommodation, for example, and, to me, it made working on Christmas day a lot more worthwhile. There’s not really anywhere where these people can go now and not be on their own.

“We spoke to a couple of places to secure venues and we’ve had lots of offers of help from various businesses who are giving stuff to us for free, like Jones Price Greengrocers who have kindly donated vegetables, or giving us products at cost price, like Daniel Morris Butchers in Mold.

“We’ve also got a Go Fund Me and our own charitable funds and people wanting to do something to help and so they have paid for some crackers for the Christmas dinners.”

Cooking Christmas dinner for around 50 people on 25 December in Buckley certainly doesn’t phase Colin, who said he is used to cooking for around 350 people when he is in charge of Christmas dinner at Chester’s Dale Barracks where he works in catering.

Colin added: “I want people to have a nice time on the day. It’s brilliant that we have got plenty of people offering to help us. Pupils from a primary school in Mynydd Isa are making Christmas cards for everyone and a few craft groups are making centre pieces for the tables.

“People have had a tough couple of years and we just want to make it as special as we possibly can for people who have probably had at least two really rubbish Christmases.

“It’ll be a doddle cooking for around 50 people as I am used to cooking for around 350 for the lads’ Christmas dinner at Dale Barracks.”

The Christmas dinners will run from 12.30pm until 2pm on Christmas day and then Colin and Eirian will be heading off to spend Christmas with their own loved ones. Colin said he would be heading home to spend the rest of the day with his family, including his two daughters, aged six and four.

To contribute to the Christmas dinner events, visit Mold and Buckley Round Table’s Go Fund Me page here.