Exeter community café to host free lunch on Christmas Day for elderly and alone

A charity run community café in Exeter will open its doors to the elderly and lonely on Christmas Day.

Café 55, run by national disability charity Sense, will offer a free Christmas lunch, with all the trimmings, for up to 30 people who would otherwise be spending the day alone.

Guests will also be treated to some festive entertainment including carols sung by The Rediscover Church choir, and presents and food donated by the Pinhoe and Guildhall Sainsbury’s stores.

Café 55’s Manager, Jane Tucker, was inspired to host the event after speaking to a member of the charity’s social group for older people with visual and hearing impairments who said they would be spending Christmas day alone.

Several of the charity’s staff have volunteered to work on the day, along with family and friends from the charity’s Devon group and volunteers from the local charity Westbank who will provide transport to and from the Café on the day. Jane will also be joined by her sons, brother and mother who will help her serve the festive lunch.

Café 55 Manager, Jane Tucker, said:

“When you are surrounded by loved ones, lots of food and presents on Christmas Day, it’s easy to forget that some people will spend it all alone. Opening up Café 55 is our way of trying to reduce the feelings of isolation and loneliness that are felt particularly keenly around the Christmas period.

We have been overwhelmed by the support from the local community.  Our local Sainsbury’s supermarkets have offered to provide food and presents for guests, Westbank are helping with the transport and the Rediscover Church will provide the Christmas Carol singalong. It’s been a real community effort and we are very excited to welcome guests on the day. I hope we can make it an annual event moving forward.”

The event runs from 11.30am - 2.00pm on 25 December. If you are an Exeter local aged 65 or over, living alone and would otherwise spend Christmas day by yourself, contact Jane Tucker on 01392 433877 or 07772263036 or email jane.tucker@sense.org.uk to book a place.

Pictured left to right: Jane Tucker, Café 55 Manager, Terry Ralph, Café 55 Co-ordinator and Daliah Ley Sense volunteer