UNABLE to host its usual Christmas party at the Memorial Hall this year, Brightwells Gostrey Centre instead hit the road to bring a little Christmas cheer to its elderly clients.

The huge volunteer effort saw hot turkey dinners, complete with all the trimmings and Christmas puds, delivered to 65 of the town’s most isolated residents on December 23 – with Waitrose providing all the food free of charge.

And with many facing a Christmas alone as a result of the tighter Covid restrictions, clients were given a little extra too – with a bag of goodies, a Christmas card and a bunch of flowers also gifted by Waitrose Farnham’s Community Matters champion Alice Butcher, together with letters written by pupils at Frensham Heights School.

Jessica Wells, business development manager at Brightwells Gostrey, said: “It has been wonderful to be able to bring some festive cheer to our clients – the smiles on their faces says it all.

“Although this year has been extremely difficult, the sense of community spirit in Farnham has been incredible and we are extremely grateful to Alice and the team at Waitrose for their continued support.

“Although we are now essentially back in lockdown, we are still very much here, offering our community meal service – providing a meal for the elderly and vulnerable seven days a week in Farnham and surrounding areas.”

Volunteer group Friends of Right at Home, set up by award-winning local home care agency Right at Home GF earlier this year, also delivered meals to around 80 older people who were alone on Christmas Day, free of charge.

And despite the challenges of the pandemic, the long-established Friends of Farnham Hospital and Centre for Health still managed to deliver their annual Christmas parcels for each inpatient.

This year all four wards at the hospital (84 beds) are firmly in operation, managed by Frimley Health, including a ward dedicated to Fleet’s Calthorpe ward patients.

Fleet Hospital’s Friends have joined in with buying presents and also presented £100 to each ward for festive titbits for staff and patients.

Diana Martin, of the Friends of Farnham Hospital, said: “Hopefully it won’t be too long before we can get back to normal, raising funds for our local hospital and community.

“If you feel you would like to contribute towards this charity, please send a donation to Lisa Pryce, Treasurer, Friends of Farnham Hospital and Centre for Health, c/o Administration, Hale Road, Farnham GU9 9QL.”