Good homes for 340 Christmas lunches!

19 December 2021 Like many hospitality venues, The Mandolay Hotel in Guildford town centre has been beset by cancellations for Christmas parties and events thanks to people’s understandable concerns about Covid. So, what to do with all the food that had been ordered from hotel suppliers? Cancelling contracts was not an option for hotel Managing Director Matthew Milliken because that would have just heaped even more unfair pressure on local suppliers. So the hotel contacted their friends at the Guildford Lions for their help, and as usual, we were only too happy to point them in the direction of a couple of fabulous organisations. Thanks to Lion Barry Jutsum more than 340 individually prepared turkey breasts will be delivered to The Park Barn Centre and the Jacob’s Well HQ of Matt Gaskin, owner of computer firm Unigold 2000, the man responsible for feeding hundreds of vulnerable, lonely and homeless people across the area every year on Christmas Day. The Park Barn centre is operated by Guildford Borough Council, and as Jo Packman, community engagement advisor with the GBC Wellbeing Team explained, they too will be providing some extra Christmas cheer once again this year. ‘We provide support all year round, but of course Christmas is a special time for everyone in the team, we are really grateful to the Lions for all their help, and to Matthew at The Mandolay for his generous contribution. I am sure the turkey will go down very well. Matt Gaskin is something of a local celebrity with his Christmas giving, appearing on TV and radio to help raise awareness of the annual drive to provide meals, gifts and company to people in and around Guildford and Woking. ‘We usually host a Christmas lunch at a venue in Guildford, but last year and this, because of Covid, we are delivering the meals to houses and homeless shelters, we expect to have 20 drivers out on Christmas day, delivering lunch to more than 300 people.’ For more information about Matt’s service, please visit http://www.freechristmaslunch.com Happy Christmas everyone!