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Speaker 1: Hello.

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Speaker 2: I'm Ray Lee and this is the Gillingham Podcast for

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anyone living in the Gillingham and Spa area. I'm talking

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to Barbarahurst, who's the organizer of the Gillingham Community Christmas Lunch. Barbara,

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can you tell us what it's all about?

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Speaker 1: Yes.

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Speaker 3: For many years the church organized a Christmas Day lunch

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for people who are on their own or perhaps don't

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have the means to celebrate in style, and unfortunately it

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was one of those casualties of COVID, so by twenty

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two twenty three it had ended. So last year, under

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the leadership of Bob Messer, we resurrected it and we

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held it that year at the Scout put in Milton.

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We had about fifty guests on that occasion and we

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judged it a great success. And the great thing about

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it last year was that we had the support of

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Three Rivers Partnership and that's made it a sustainable project.

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They handle our finances for us and support us in

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any way possible. We've also had the support of Gillingham

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Carling who provide us with drivers to and from the

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venue and to organize all the drivers because a lot

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of old tiers other than Carlink drivers to offer this service,

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so they organize all that for us. All of this

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means that we are now on very firm ground. This year,

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unfortunately we weren't able to book the Scout Hut, so

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we're now going to the Rugby Club and the North

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Dorset Rugby Football Club.

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Speaker 1: It's on Christmas Day, but.

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Speaker 3: A lot happens beforehand, So on Christmas Eve we've got

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some thirty volunteers coming along and they will be preparing

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vegetables and setting up the room so that it all

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looks very festive. And then on Christmas Day we've got

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another thirty who have volunteered to come along and do

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all sorts of things pot scrubbing, serving, handing out gifts

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and providing entertainment. Last year we did have Liz Dua

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come along and she led us in community carol singing,

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which was wonderful. It's really uplifting. This year she's coming back.

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Absolutely delighted that she's agreed to come back again. But

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we've also had an offer from David Ball who does magic,

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and he's going to do magic tricks on the tables

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you to entertain our guests this year, so very excited

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about that.

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Speaker 1: So how did you get involved with it?

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Speaker 3: I was lent on by Bob Messer. He and I

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know each other from a number of different organizations were

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involved with and yes, he asked me. And I'm not

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very good at saying no. So last year I actually

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did the role of quartermaster, so I organized all the donations,

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made sure that they arrived at the destination in good time.

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Love And is there a cost to the diners? No,

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it's absolutely free. We can do this because we actually

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do have some funding left from last year, but we

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have everything donated by very generous businesses in the in

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the organized it really is a community.

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Speaker 1: Yes. And all the meals are prepared on site.

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Speaker 3: Yes, our chef, Yes, our share We have a professional chef,

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Vicky Adamson. She she did it last year and we're

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delighted that she's back this year. Yes, everything cooked fresh.

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It is the full traditional Christmas dinner with all of

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the trimmings. And and for those who don't like, for instance,

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Christmas pudding, we and offered cheesecake and you know we

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do try and and also there'll be a vegetarian offer

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for those who I'm.

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Speaker 2: Just just looking down the menu that you've given me

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and it's quite a comprehensive list.

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Speaker 1: You know, things that you can that you can provide.

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Speaker 3: We have again this year, in fact, a donation of

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a cash donation from the Reeds Charity. I don't know

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if you know about it. I've heard it, yes, so

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that they support us financially too.

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Speaker 2: Lovely And you mentioned that you're offering transport through Carling.

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Is there a charge for that? No?

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Speaker 3: There Isn't this all volunteer work. Yes, it's remarkable how

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generous the people of gilling them up. I'd really like

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to thank some local businesses who have been very generous

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in donating to the Christmas Lunch, which of course enables

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us to offer this for free, as the Gillingham branches

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of Asda, Waitrose and the co Op, Orchard Park Garden Center,

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down Farm Meets, Victoria O'Brien Cakes, Bakes and Catering, Riverside Garage,

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Johnson Stourbridge Linen and plant World and as you can see,

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it's really a community effort. One other huge thank you

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I need to make, and that is for the Ladies

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of Kilmington and Stourton WI who are providing again this

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year gifts for our guests to take home all beautifully

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gift wrapped and that I can't tell you. It is

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just the best way to end this land.

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Speaker 2: So if anybody wanted to get involved, either volunteering or

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would like to even book a meal, what's the best

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way to do it.

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Speaker 3: We have a dedicated section on the Three Rivers Partnership website.

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You can download an application form there and it gives

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information about where you can reach us to volunteer. We

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do still need drivers. We have plenty of other volunteers,

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but we do still need drivers. So I would direct

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everybody to the Three Rivers Partnership website. Everybody is welcome.

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We're particularly aiming at people who might be isolated, cut

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off and miss out and everybody welcome all ages. But

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booking is essential.

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Speaker 1: And I understand as a deadline.

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Speaker 3: Yes, the second of December is the deadline of yes now.

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Application forms can be collected at Gillingham Library, the Post Office,

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Gillingham Town Hall, Saint Mary, the Virgin Church or the

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Eden Cafe when that's surrounding coffee and Canines, and the

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Gillingham Community Church and Food Bank. And as I say,

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they can be downloaded from the Three Rivers Partnership website

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now the completed application forms can be dropped into the

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box at the church at Saint Mary's Church and also

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there's another at the town Hall, but I do urge

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everybody to book their place as soon as possible.

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Speaker 1: A lovely well, that's great. Thanks us about for your

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time this morning. You're very welcome.

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Speaker 2: If you're a member of a group or organization that

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would like to be featured on a future Gillingham podcast,

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then you can email me at lig On podcast at

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gmail dot com. Thanks for listening.

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Speaker 3: Oh