Charity workers and volunteers who work for Network Rail will be laying on a Christmas Day feast for 200 of London’s homeless in the main concourse at Euston Station. All food and workers’ time has been donated for the event.

Streets Kitchen and St. Mungo’s are two homeless charities who have already sent out invites to the Christmas feast, which will happen at 11 a.m. on December 25. The station will be decked out with festive decorations for the event, while trestle tables and chairs will be provided.

Festive cheer for 200 of London’s homeless

The BBC quotes Steve Naybour, spokesman for Network Rail, as saying many of their workers are used to being at work on Christmas Day – the rail never stops, even on the holidays.

However, this year Naybour wasn’t on the work schedule and he and some of his colleagues thought up the idea to give some of the homeless in London a festive Christmas treat.

Naybour went on to praise the charities for their help, saying there was plenty of interest from his co-workers to volunteer to help on the day. He added that everything is possible, thanks to support from the team at the station, the British Transport Police and various local and national suppliers.

Among the suppliers mentioned by Naybour were Blacks – an outdoor clothing company – as well as Virgin Trains, Abellio and the Pret Foundation Trust.

A statement by Network Rail said the 200 lucky diners are to be drawn from several London boroughs, adding that everything for the feast has been donated.

Charities helping the homeless in London

The St. Mungo’s homeless charity is responsible for over 300 projects across the United Kingdom and provides beds and support for around 2,700 Homeless People. Beth Norden, a spokeswoman for St. Mungo’s, said many people had become homeless over breakdowns in their relationships, meaning that Christmas is an especially lonely holiday for their residents.

Norden went on to thank Network Rail and all the volunteers and staff involved, for their help in making homeless feel part of the community on Christmas Day.

Streets Kitchen is a grassroots organization that feeds around 1,000 homeless people in London each week. Spokesman Jon Glackin said the Christmas event was a “shining example” of communities, businesses and individuals coming together to help those in need. Glackin said it is “fantastic” working with everyone on the Network Rail team to use one of London’s most prestigious stations to give the homeless a little festive cheer.

He added that it will be a fun day for the homeless which he hopes will be replicated elsewhere.

According to a report by the Independent, there are approximately 307,000 homeless people sleeping rough on the streets of Britain.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED