Peterborough young care leavers invited to Christmas lunch

Staff at City College Peterborough are preparing the Christmas meal for care leavers

Young care leavers in Peterborough have been invited to share a Christmas lunch together.

It is part of an annual project founded by the poet Lemn Sissay but will be in the city for the first time.

Up to 30 care leavers aged between 18 and 25 will be having lunch on Christmas Day at City College Peterborough.

Ruth Scotten, an organiser, said it aimed to "make sure young people know there are people that care".

She said it was "awful there would be young people who are sitting on their own on such a family-oriented day".

Volunteer coordinator Ruth Scotten said she hoped the young care leavers would feel supported by the event

The idea was developed by Lemn Sissay, who was in care as a baby and a teenager.

It started as a single event in 2013 in Manchester. There are now almost 30 Christmas dinner events, including ones in Norwich and Felixstowe, Suffolk.

Each is organised by local volunteers who are given a guidebook produced by the poet to help them plan the day.

Chanel said care leavers like herself are expected to be resilient but need help and support

One of those helping out in Peterborough is Chanel, a care leaver herself.

She said: "I didn't enjoy Christmas for many years because of the fact I was alone.

"For some other people who were in the system when I left, they were going home to family and friends, they had a whole new life to start again. Whereas I didn't, I had to come out and ended up in a real bad patch - all because I didn't have support. I didn't have the cuddle and someone to say, 'Everything's OK.'"

Vice principal Tasha Dalton said there would be carols and Christmas songs after they were requested by the attendees

Tasha Dalton, vice principal at City College Peterborough, said the care leavers would be given "access to a support network on Christmas Day and then they are going to leave with a goodie bag and some presents".

"It's important that young people don't feel isolated," she added.