LAUNCESTON Town Council is keen to hear of people who would benefit from the next community Christmas lunch, writes Amy Dennis.

The community lunch has been running for four years, and the town council invites along people from the community who are perhaps on their own, do not have a huge amount of money, or simply wanting a bit of company.

Those invited are treated to a delicious homemade meal at the Town Hall in December, decked out beautifully by Rachael Slater of Sparkle Party Plan and volunteers.

The hard work behind the meal preparation is mainly down to mayor and town councillor Margaret Young, a former head of food technology and former assistant headteacher of Launceston College.

Margaret said the idea for the community lunch came from the late town councillor Tony Sandercock.

She said: “2013 was the first community lunch. Tony Sandercock always wanted to do it. ‘Now maid, let’s have a community lunch’. It was really Tony’s little love. He said, ‘you would be alright doing it, wouldn’t you maid?’”

“The councillors gave me names of people they thought would fit the bill, of being on their own or not having a huge amount of money, or wanting a bit of company. It’s the company thing really more than anything else.

“I went to see Philip Warren, who has been giving meat, such generous portions, ever since. He’s been fantastic.

“Shelley [Vanstone, community champion] at Tesco provided all the vegetables. Tony went to the fish and chip shop, who donated potatoes and peeled them on the way. That was the first one. I think there were about 80 people for lunch.

“Then it began to get — ‘they were invited last year, I hope I get invited this year’. It began to be a bit of a success! More and more people wanted to come.”

The 2017 meal served around 140 people, and the biggest lunch served around 180 people. Now the council wants suggestions of other people who could be invited.

Margaret added: “There are people who expect invitations now. I want to open it up to others who might have been missed off the list.

“I would like people to get in touch with the town council office to say they would like to see so and so to be put on the list and then we can have a re-group to see if we have got some new names.”

Margaret is full of praise for all those who help out, including the Rotary Club, which gives £500 towards the lunch. She added: “Really it’s not costing the town council very much, other than the venue.

“Rachael Slater does all the trimmings in the hall, it was absolutely beautiful, and she really makes the effort to come and do it, and asks for volunteers. Shelley Vanstone is amazing, she comes down and works as well.

“It’s the volunteer thing that’s so important because it becomes then a real community thing. Thank you to anyone who has helped the town in any way.”

Although much is done by Margaret, she said: “All the preparation is done the day before and the councillors come in to do that. Dear Andrew Statton [town council caretaker and mace bearer] puts the meat on early in the morning. It’s all fresh.

“I make Christmas puddings at home — I made eight 2lb puddings last year. I made meringues and sticky toffee pudding at home.”

But Margaret said she doesn’t mind all the hours she puts into preparing for the meal, adding: “It kind of filled a hole since my husband Ian died, really. My boys think I’m mad! ‘Mother, you are doing too much’, is what I get, but I don’t care about that.”

The 2018 community lunch is pencilled in for Wednesday, December 12.

Get in touch with the town council office by calling 01566 773693 or emailing [email protected]