The Food Chain was formed on Christmas Day in 1988, and ever since then holding a Christmas Day lunch has been a big priority for us. Christmas Day is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate a community that The Food Chain is so proud to be a part of.

On December 25th every year, we open our doors to up to 60 Service Users who have been with us through the year and who we know would otherwise be spending Christmas Day alone. Christmas can be a difficult and isolating time for many people but we hope that by providing a friendly, relaxed and nurturing environment we are able to ensure that Christmas at The Food Chain can be a joyful experience.


What does the role involve?

As there is no public transport on Christmas Day, we rely on the generosity of volunteer drivers to pick up our Service Users from their homes on Christmas morning. You will be provided with a pickup plan in advance with full postcodes, names and approximate pickup times so you know who you’re picking up, when and from where.

You’ll set out on Christmas morning to pick up our guests. The number of people you collect will depend on the capacity of your car, and the area of London you live in. You’ll drive them to our base in Stepney Green and drop them off at the door. Then you’ll park up and come in to join us.

Before lunch is served we have plenty going on to keep everyone entertained. We have Christmas movies, games and quizzes, and you’ll be very welcome to join in the festivities! At 2pm we all sit down to lunch – of course yours will be provided too – before setting off for the homeward journey at around 3/3.30pm. You’ll take the same people home with you as you brought in.

While we do our best to match all volunteers with a Service User to bring, we cannot guarantee this, as it will depend on the compatibility of locations. We will update you when we have a full list of service users attending.

What do I need to take on this role?

- Be available during Christmas Day, 25th December 2024
- Be aged 18 or over
- Proof of valid UK driving licence
- Sign our code of conduct and confidentiality code
- Regular and easy access to an email address

Expenses: Mileage will be reimbursed at a rate of 45p per mile in line with The Food Chain’s expenses policy.

Like the sound of it? - please register interest and we will send over the sign up form.