Cost of living: Vicar left in tears over community's food poverty

Father Dominic Cawdell at a previous Christmas eventSt Peter's Church

Father Dominic Cawdell says his church's weekly community dinner is some people's only hot meal that week

By Nicola Bryan
BBC News

A vicar who has been brought to tears by the poverty in his community is one of hundreds of people in Wales providing free Christmas Day meals to those who may otherwise go without.

St Peter's in Holywell, Flintshire, hosts free meals every Monday and will feed about 80 on Christmas Day.

"It's heartbreaking," said its vicar Father Dominic Cawdell.

"I spend most Monday evenings in tears and I'm not a particularly soppy person."

On Monday his church fed 196 people.

"Lots were saying to me it was their only hot meal this week," he said.

"We had some horrendous stories of people, especially people with children, saying [the children] get the hot food and I get what's left.

"It's just heartbreaking to imagine that there are people in our town who just can't afford what you imagine to be the very basic level of what they need."

This year will be the church's eighth free Christmas Day lunch event following a two-year gap during the Covid pandemic when they offered a lunch delivery instead.

"We're booking up quicker than ever before for Christmas dinner and we've had requests for the first time ever from larger groups, from families that just simply can't imagine how they'll cook it themselves," Father Cawdell added.

New Life Church

The New Life Church in Cardigan provides a free Christmas Day lunch

Father Cawdell said he looked forward to the Christmas Day three-course lunch which ends in a sing-song.

"What I love most about it is that it's a group of people that you would never get together in any of that sphere - you'll have tables of people that might have addiction problems that are really struggling, then the families that we work with every week, you might have elderly people who have nowhere else to go, people from church that wouldn't have anywhere else to be and the helpers who all eat together," he said.

"It's just remarkable."

He said pre-booking was helpful but no-one would be turned away on Christmas Day.

Plumber Pete Humphreys is also running a free Christmas Day lunch event at Yellow and Blue community hub in Wrexham.

"People are scared," he said.

"They don't know how they're going to control their heating bills... a lot of people are choosing food over warmth."

He said he had witnessed people in his community "going back to the very basics and trying to survive", adding: "It's getting scary out there."

Tiny Rebel

Newport brewery Tiny Rebel will be handing out hot drinks, mince pies and takeaway dinners

Pete set up the non-profit social enterprise in 2016 after losing his father to cancer saw him "on a bit of a downwards spiral with my mental health".

"I've gone through homelessness so I've got a bit of experience and an affinity with the people on the streets and in temporary housing," he said.

The hub's activities include a men's mental health group, a veteran's group, a community larder and it has also been collecting Christmas presents for the children of those in need.

"People are cutting down on anything that's enjoyable because they've got to get the basics right," he said.

The hub's free Christmas meal event is in its third year.

Tiny Rebel

Tiny Rebel's Community Christmas Dinner project is in its third year

"I I look forward to Christmas Day now because of helping others, whereas I never used to look forward to Christmas Day before because I lost my dad," he said.

He said the event was open to everyone.

"We don't have any sort of labels attached, so if you're feeling lonely or isolated and you just want to spend Christmas with other people that care then we open up the doors."

Places in Wales offering free meals on Christmas Day

Bridgend

  • Bridgend Community Outreach Centre is putting on a Christmas Day breakfast with gifts between 09:00 and 11:00 GMT

  • Caerau Development Trust in Maesteg is hosting a festive gathering for people who are on their own

Carmarthenshire

  • Chooselife in Llanelli is offering free take-away mince pies, puddings and crackers between 12:00 and 15:00

  • Ammanford Evangelical Church is putting on a free two-course lunch with entertainment and transport if needed at Llandybie Public Memorial Hall from 12:00 to 15:00. Those attending need to book

  • Community canteen and kitchen Cegin Hedyn is putting on a lunch at Lammas Street Centre in Carmarthen from 11:00, with lunch served from 12:00

Neath Port Talbot

  • St Theodore's in Port Talbot is offering a free meal from 13:30 with transport available. A £5 refundable deposit is required when booking

Pembrokeshire

  • Pembroke Dock Harlequins RFC is providing a free hot meal and festivities for those who need it between 12:00 and 15:00

Swansea

Blaenau Gwent

  • No events found

Caerphilly

  • The Parish Trust in Trethomas is putting on a free three-course lunch from 13:00

  • St John's Church in Nelson is providing free meals from 13:00

Cardiff

  • Victoria Fish Bar in Whitchurch is handing out free meals and offering deliveries

  • Cardiff council is currently collating information which it will publish here when ready

Merthyr Tydfil

  • No events found

Monmouthshire

  • Bethany Residential Home in Chepstow is inviting anyone alone on Christmas Day to join them for a meal

Newport

  • Tiny Rebel's Community Christmas dinner project will be offering a hot drink, mince pie and takeaway dinner between 12:00 and 14:00. People will need to reserve

  • Feed Newport on Commercial Road will be open between 10:00 and 14:00 for hot drinks, sweets and treats

  • Stow Park Community Centre will be open for a free Christmas lunch between 12:30 and 14:30. Reservation is required

Rhondda Cynon Taf

  • Churches St Fagan, St James and St Luke are hosting a free Christmas lunch and entertainment, with lunch served at about 13:00 at St John's School in Aberdare. A £5 deposit is needed to book but will be returned on the day

Torfaen

  • Torfaen council said it was not aware of anywhere in the county hosting free Christmas dinners on Christmas Day

Vale of Glamorgan

  • No events found

Powys

  • Helping your Homeless Wales in Builth Wells is offering free Christmas day meals

  • St John's Family Centre in Brecon is hosting a three-course meal from 13:00 that requires pre-booking

Ceredigion

  • New Life Church Cardigan is putting on a free Christmas lunch from 13:00 for 100 people

Denbighshire

  • St Collen's Church Hall in Llangollen is hosting a free Christmas lunch of turkey or poached salmon from 12:00 and must be booked in advance

Flintshire

  • St Peter's Church in Holywell, Flintshire, is offering a three-course lunch from 13:00 for about 80 people. Pre-booking is helpful

Wrexham

Gwynedd

  • No events found. Gwynedd council said it had allocated £75,000 for community groups to provide food parcels, meals and food clubs over winter but did not have information on the provision of free dinners on Christmas Day

Isle of Anglesey

  • No events found

Conwy

  • No events found

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