Five-year-old Nathan Edge helps at Thrum Hall Church Christmas Day Party

Nathan Edge helping at Thrum Hall Christmas Day Party

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Forty people who would otherwise have been on their own on Christmas Day attended the annual Thrum Hall Church Christmas Day Party and helping to serve the meals was five-year-old Nathan Edge.

Nathan's mum, Marie, volunteering for the first time at the party, said: “My five-year-old, Nathan, wanted to volunteer on Christmas Day so I contacted Rochdale Online to see if they knew of anywhere that needed extra hands.

“The team worked tirelessly to get meals out to the community, the local homeless hostel and feed a room full of guests at the Christmas Lunch.

“Everyone seemed to have a lovely time catching up and celebrating Christmas.

“Nathan was in his element chatting and serving and they even let him play Santa, giving out gifts to all those eating at the church.”

Sixty meals were also sent out to people who couldn't get to the party but were on their own on Christmas Day, and 32 Christmas dinners were delivered to Leopold Court, the council run-hostel for the homeless.

Marilyn Jones said: “We had many volunteers come forward to ferry people to and from the party, take meals out and spend time with each recipient. We also sent a team of volunteers to Leopold Court to serve the Christmas dinner there.

"At the party, volunteers sat and spoke to our guests and the atmosphere in the hall was wonderful. Everyone, guests and volunteers, enjoyed themselves, and many of the volunteers said they were keen to do it again next year. Our guests were keen to be kept on the invitation list for next year too.

"This event has been going now for over 40 years and started as a church event, but as a result of the number of volunteers we had coming forward to help this year, it has now become a community event, which is a very positive thing.

"We have never catered for anything like 130 people before, but our two chefs, Nicola and Neil Halliwell, took it all in their stride and weren't fazed by anything, I'm so very grateful to them - as I am every year."