The future of Marlborough’s Christmas lunch for the elderly – an initiative that has inspired similar events across the county – has been secured for another year, thanks to the generosity of Waitrose and their customers.
Every year, around 60 pensioners are treated to a homecooked Christmas lunch at Marlborough Town Hall.
The initiative was founded by former Marlborough Gazette & Herald reporter Nigel Kerton and his wife Joy, a caterer, after Nigel heard from an elderly friend who had eaten tinned fish on toast alone on Christmas Day.
“That was back in 2002,” said Nigel. “Joy and I decided we had to do something about it, and started a Christmas lunch for elderly people in the town in 2003.”
However, 2014 marked the last time that Nigel and Joy are running the Christmas lunch. This Christmas, town councillor Lisa Farrell and Nigel’s 14-year-old granddaughter Vicky Ellis will be taking over the reins.
And thanks to the grant from the Waitrose Community Matters green token scheme, along with another £2,000 in the bank, fundraising is not something the new committee will need to worry about for the next three years.
Back in September, Waitrose announced each of its 326 stores would be earmarking £1,000 to support Christmas lunches for elderly, vulnerable, or homeless people.
As the pensioners’ Christmas lunch was the only applicant from the store’s catchment area, it received the entire £1,000.
On Monday, a cheque was presented to Nigel and treasurer Jennifer Clarke by the new manager of the store, Nicola Evans, and Waitrose community champion Janice Kingstone who, with colleagues Pamela Watts and Carole Jent, volunteered at the event.
And Nicola pledged: “We will continue to support the Christmas lunch.”
Meanwhile, the legacy left by Nigel and Joy Kerton is Christmas lunches in Devizes, Trowbridge, Pewsey and Wootton Bassett, all inspired by the Marlborough event. A pensioners’ Christmas lunch in Hungerford is also on the cards.
Another cricket score for Marlborough this time away at Cricklade
