A COMMUNAL Christmas day lunch run by volunteers is being held at a charitable café and resource centre.

Free turkey dinners with all the trimmings, a festive film and gifts will be available at Pact House on Front Street in Stanley from 1pm on December 25.

There will also be music, a quiz and light dinner at around 6pm, with lifts available for members of the community with mobility problems.

Volunteer Dave Clarke, who is the Acting Inspector of Stanley Police, said:

“It is a full Christmas Day experience and the most important thing is it is all about volunteers who want to be together and give people the chance to come somewhere and have an enjoyable day.”

“It is the second year running the charitable facility, a former bank and second hand shop, has offered to open on Christmas Day since it opened in 2016.

Organisers insist it is not a food bank or a soup kitchen for the homeless, but a community café where people are not obliged to pay with money and can instead offer their time to help out, and their company.

Acting Insp Clarke said: “A lot of people volunteer and help out where they can, by doing dishes or peeling the spuds.

“Everyone has got something to give, such as doing a quiz or by providing some entertainment.

“The emergency services come and pop in for their lunch. It is just about being with other people and it is not about contributing money.

“People can contribute their time or a bit of fun. It the true spirit of Christmas.”

Pact House is funded by donations from Stanley Town Council, local businesses and receives free food from Greggs, Tesco and Fair Share.

As well as the free café, which runs throughout the year, Pact House has computers facilities and hosts sessions with community groups.

It also won a £3,000 grant from the High Sheriff Youth Awards Scheme to help up to 85 young people in the Stanley area with fitness and social activities every Friday and Saturday evening.

Stanley Town Councillor Darren McMahon, who is a trustee at PACT House, said the project was called PACTivate and aimed to reduce anti-social behaviour in the town centre.

He said: “I’d been working with the police for a long time and we knew that kids were migrating towards the bus station and Asda in the evenings so we knew we had a ready-made audience.”

The Christmas Day event is free but people are asked to book a place by calling 07446-245-448.