ON Christmas Day in Cirencester those who would have otherwise spent the day alone were treated to a free lunch and organisers of the well attended event have branded it a roaring success.

Cirencester charity Disability Information and Support (DISC) held the event for the disadvantaged and homeless at the Bingham Hall in Cirencester, which saw 65 people treated to slap-up meal with table service.

Head of Disc, Dee Drinan said the event, which has been running for 14 years, was such a success thanks to the team of volunteers which served and cooked food and Standard’s promotion of it through adverts and stories in the paper.

She said: “It was the advertising that the Standard did for us that brought so many people to us. Because of that we have seen so many people at the lunch that we have never seen before.

“The purpose of the Christmas day lunch is to get people together who are lonely and disabled and from low-income families and living on the streets.”

As part of the day. Cirencester priest Howard Gilbert from the Holy Trinity Church said grace and each table had its own server which chatted to guests to bring them Christmas cheer, before joining them for lunch.

Not only that, each person that attended the lunch, which was supported by Churches Together and the Smith's Cirencester Poor charity were handed a gift box that included several items clothes and cosmetic products.

Dee hopes that next year’s lunch will be as successful as the last but said that it may not go ahead as she is struggling to raise the cash to make it happen.

She said: “Really this Christmas was so different and I would really love to carry on next year. We are going to work very very hard to get the money to carry on.”

If you would like to make a donation to next year’s Disc Christmas lunch then call Dee on 01285 650 950.