Birmingham New Street station to host homeless Christmas Eve dinner

The party including Christmas dinner, gifts and entertainment will take place from 18:30 BST on Christmas Eve

One of the busiest railway stations in the UK is to host a Christmas Eve dinner for more than 200 homeless people.

The three-course meal, provided by a local charity, will be delivered on the concourse of Birmingham New Street station from 18:30 GMT.

It is hoped the event will give people a chance to unwind, the station says.

Midlands Langar Seva, the charity behind the event, said it would deliver a "VIP experience".

The event, which is expected to run until 21:30 BST will also see performances by carol singers and a DJ, while Father Christmas will also make an appearance.

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Organiser and CEO of Midlands Langar Seva, Randhir Singh, said: "We have been providing hot meals to homeless people in the city for about the last five years.

"We usually give our service users their Christmas meals in trays to take away but this time it'll be something special where they can sit down and have a waiter bring them their meal and feel like part of the family.

"It means so much to a lot of the people we support because at this time of year, many of them are feeling down and missing their families and their friends.

"Rather than sitting on the floor to eat their dinner, this year they'll get a proper VIP experience."

The vegetarian food will be served with non-alcoholic drinks and each person attending will receive a Christmas gift.

The dinner will be held close to the John Lewis station entrance and barriers will separate the party area from commuters.

Station manager Pat Power said: "It's a pleasure to be able to host this special Christmas treat for the many people they [the organisation] regularly help, by giving them a hot meal and a chance to unwind for a few hours out of the cold."