Mansfield charity needs your help to provide Christmas lunch for struggling residents

Last year, Arena Church provided Christmas lunch hampers to 80 families in the Mansfield area.

This year, the charity hopes to be able to provide 100 hampers, along with new toys for children who might otherwise go without.

But to meet increased demand, volunteers now need help from people who can spare food donations.

Louise Richardson, who leads Arena Church’s Mansfield hub on Leeming Street, said: “We offer a food club, which is different from a food bank.

“At a food bank everything is free, whereas a food club is where you pay a small amount for a bag of shopping that’s worth three or four times the amount.

“We need food donations so people can have a variety of choice at Christmas, with special treats they might not have got in their usual parcel.”

The food club is not just offered to people living on benefits, but could also help those in employment, but who are struggling to make ends meet.

Louise said: “Food clubs exist because if you’re working, you usually can’t access a food bank, so food clubs will help sustain families through the Christmas period, especially while schools are shut. There is a real increase in demand this year.

“Anyone can come to the food club if they are struggling. We just have to take people on trust a lot of the time – many people wouldn’t come to a food club unless it was a last resort.

To help fill the Christmas lunch hampers, the hub is asking for donations of things like crisps, nuts, chocolate biscuits, Christmas puddings, mince pies and yule logs, as well as stuffing, instant mash, tinned carrots, potatoes and peas.

The charity is also taking donations of new toys to help ensure all local children get a gift this Christmas.

Donations can be dropped off at Arena Church, Mondays-Wednesdays, from 9am-1pm, and Sundays, from 9am-noon, and the charity’s Open Door shop on Ladybrook Place, Tuesdays-Fridays, 9am-3pm, and Saturdays, from 9am-noon.

People can also choose to sponsor a Christmas lunch hamper by donating £15 to cover the cost of all the food.

For more information, see the Arena Mansfield Community Hub Facebook page.

Desirable food donations:

Pringles, crisps, nuts, crackers;

Custard, rice pudding, tinned fruit;

Eggs, jam, marmalade;

Chocolate biscuits, Yule log, chocolates;

Christmas puddings, mince pies;

Gravy, instant mash, stuffing;

UHT milk, sugar;

Instant hot chocolate, tea, coffee, squash;

Mint sauce, mustard, cranberry sauce;

Tinned soup, potatoes, carrots, peas.