Christmas lunch with fun games

A CHRISTMAS Day community dinner will return after a five-year hiatus for people who are alone.

Gary Boys, co-founder of the Henley Man Club, has teamed up with Irenna Bailey to help more than
120 residents in the community.

The event will be held at the Christ Church Centre in Reading Road from noon to about 4pm.

It will feature a three-course meal, a visit from Father Christmas, carols, a music quiz which will take place in between courses, and activities and games.

The event was originally set up by Mrs Bailey and had been running for about five years before it was stopped during lockdown.

Mr Boys wants to help others after he faced his own struggles during that time.

He said: “My partner sadly passed away on Christmas Day and my best friend died on Christmas Eve. So, I decided to think positively and think, ‘What can I do with all my resources?’

“I’m a DJ and entertainer, I’m great at hosting events and I wanted to do something I enjoy and give back to the community.

“We are going to give 120 people the gift of Christmas and it’s an annual event and we want to keep it going again. It’s for all ages.”

A crowdfunding campaign to pay for the dinners has raised more than £2,000. The pair are looking for volunteers to help with set-up, cooking and serving of meals.

For more information and to make a donation, visit www.justgiving.com/
crowdfunding/community-christmas-day or email gary@henleymanclub.com