Marlborough Christmas lunch ’25 – sign up now to be a guest or volunteer!

Preparations are underway for the 23^rd Marlborough Christmas Lunch taking place in the Town Hall on Christmas Day from 12pm.

The Christmas Day lunch is not means tested and is mainly for, but not limited to, our senior citizens or anyone who finds themselves alone on Christmas Day. The lunch is all about coming together as a community to enjoy each other’s company as well as plenty of food and drink. It’s a truly valued event in the town; last year, more than 75 people who would otherwise have spent the day alone enjoyed a Christmas lunch.

Thanks to the incredibly generous donations from local people and businesses, the lunch is completely free to attend.

Alongside a Christmas lunch guests will also enjoy a quiz, bingo and a raffle as well as some other festive surprises!

If you, a relative, a neighbour, or someone you know will be alone this Christmas, sign-up forms can be collected from the Jubilee Centre, or you can contact Victoria directly at vellis@thomasmae.co.uk.

Victoria and her family are also looking for donations and volunteers from the Marlborough community to help this year’s lunch be as successful as previous years.

“There are many ways to get involved” Victoria told Marlborough News, “You can donate a raffle prize, help with preparations on Christmas Eve, support the event in the Town Hall on Christmas Day, deliver a meal to those who cannot leave their homes, or join the clean-up team on boxing day. Local businesses and individuals can also support the event by donating to help us keep the Christmas Lunch free of charge each year for those who need it most.”

For more information about getting involved in this year’s lunch, please contact Victoria at vellis@thomasmae.co.uk.

The event is truly a family affair. Victoria’s grandparents, Joy and Nigel Kerton, organised the first lunch in 2002 after hearing that a Marlborough resident had spent Christmas Day alone with only a tin of salmon. In 2015, Victoria and her mother Claire took over as organisers but her grandparents, along with other family members, remain very much involved in and enthusiastic about the event. Victoria told Marlborough News that the lunch is “all I’ve ever known” and that it truly is one big “Christmas family” where everyone is made to feel welcome.