CHURCHES in Portsmouth will throw open their doors to help the homeless and lonely on Christmas Day.

Among the churches supporting those who would otherwise be on their own at Christmas is St Simon’s Church in Waverley Road, Southsea. It will run its regular ‘Sunday Supper’ on Christmas Day, which helps those who are homeless, or face problems with alcohol or drug addictions or mental health issues.

Sunday Supper has been running at the church every single Sunday for 28 years, offering a simple meal and support to those who need it. Volunteers were determined to be available at Christmas, which is a difficult time for many.

They’ll be throwing a Christmas party for anyone who might otherwise feel isolated, starting at 5.30pm on Christmas Day.

Event co-ordinator Mike Taylor, from St Simon’s Church, said: “Normally we give people soup, rolls and cakes at Sunday Supper. Because it’s Christmas, we want it to have a party, with a buffet Christmas tea and some non-alcoholic punch. We’ll also arrange the tables differently, have some carols playing, and decorate the place to generate the right atmosphere.

“We wanted to be there for our regulars and also for anyone else who might feel isolated at Christmas. And we wanted to be open, as we have offered Sunday Suppers every single Sunday for about 28 years. It would be a shame not to offer that support on a day like Christmas Day.

“We have already cooked a full-scale Christmas meal at Sunday Supper at the start of December, and we had around 60 people there. We normally have 35-45 people, but it’s difficult to predict how many will come on Christmas Day. There are four or five extra people from our congregation who don’t normally volunteer who have said they would like to be there, so we can cater for anyone who would like to join us.”

Meanwhile Portsmouth Cathedral will host a three-course lunch for up to 60 people on Christmas Day in a joint event with FoodCycle, a charity that creates meals from surplus food.

Canon Peter Leonard, from Portsmouth Cathedral, said: “This will be the first time we have hosted a Christmas Day lunch at the cathedral. We already run a regular Tuesday lunch club for the elderly and we have worked with FoodCycle before.

“FoodCycle will be providing food donated to them by the local supermarkets and they won’t know what they are getting until 4pm on Christmas Eve. A FoodCycle volunteer will make biscuits and package them up as gifts, and one of the supermarkets has donated a voucher that will allow us to buy drinks for the guests.

“The cathedral volunteers will provide transport and St Simon’s Church is lending its minibus. The meal is for people who are alone on Christmas Day, or who might otherwise not get a Christmas meal. We are getting a lot of enquiries from a lot of different organisations.”

A curate from Christ Church, Portsdown, is also hoping to make Christmas special for needy families in Portsmouth. The Rev Mark James has launched ‘The 25 Appeal’ with help from Christian friends and the North Harbour branch of Tesco.

The idea is that people donate cash to provide food hampers worth £25 for 250 disadvantaged families in Portsmouth. The hampers, which will be bulging with Christmas treats, will be delivered as a surprise to those families whose needs are known to the organisations involved.

“I was amazed to discover how many children and adults in Portsmouth don’t have enough to eat, and might not be able to enjoy Christmas,” said Mark. “Economic, family and health reasons have driven some families to desperation.

“So we thought that individual families might like to support another family by providing a £25 hamper of goodies for them. Tesco have promised to deliver the food as a complete surprise. We are in touch with various local charities who already know those who are in need of help.”

You can donate to the appeal yourself via the website www.252525.org.uk

And Canon Bob White, from St Mary’s Church, Fratton, is spearheading the annual Christmas vouchers scheme, which helps the homeless, vulnerable families and asylum seekers to receive a Christmas present in a year when they might not receive any other gifts.

The scheme is organised by Churches Homeless Action, and involves worshippers buying £5 gift vouchers, which can be placed inside a signed Christmas card as a gift.

The vouchers will be presented to local charities working with the needy at a carol service at 12.30pm on Friday (Dec 16) in St Mary’s Church, Fratton. Those charities and agencies then distribute the vouchers to their clients, who can spend it on a gift for themselves or for others.

Last year, £14,000 was donated and over the years the scheme has raised more than £120,000 to help rough sleepers, those escaping domestic violence, families in supported housing, and those fleeing oppression abroad. You can send donations to St Mary’s Vicarage, Fratton Road, Portsmouth, PO1 5PA or contact Bob White on vicar(at)portseaparish.co.uk