Gloucester's Feed the Hungry to provide 500 Christmas day meals

Festive packages will be delivered to those in need, including refugees, hospitals and local veterans

Author: Ashton KirbyPublished 23rd Dec 2022

Gloucester's Feed the Hungry will be opening its café and delivering festive meals to those in need.

From 6:30 in the morning founder Hash Norat and his team of more than 40 volunteers will be preparing over 500 festive full English breakfasts.

Alongside opening the café and welcoming people in, they'll be delivering meals to local veterans, hospitals and anyone whose worried about going hungry on Christmas Day.

Toys donated to the café will be gifted to refugees and children in hospital

Volunteers will also be taking gift bags full of toys to local refugees and the children's ward at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

"It's going to be magic"

After receiving 10,000 donations to help the special day go ahead, Mr Norat says " Christmas Day is going to be amazing, its going to be magic in here.

"We are going to send meals to shelters and to those on their own, who can't get out and who would possibly just be having a piece of toast.

"Won't it be a lovely surprise for them to get a knock on the door, and there's a fresh hot fully cooked English breakfast, with some mince pies, a Christmas hat and a selection pack."

Hash Norat says this massive cuddly dog will go to the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital children's ward

Mr Norat said as a British Muslim he doesn't celebrate Christmas, but recognises the importance of the festivities.

"It's about children being happy isn't it? If the parents are struggling, but they are able to have a cup of tea, breakfast and a couple of mince pies with a bag toys.

"They can then go away with a smile on their face instead of waking up in the morning with the children crying, because mum and dad haven't been able to buy them a toy.

"We are one big family, we are going to all sit down and have the best 2 to 3 hours.

"Then I'm going to have a break for a couple of days."

Once the clock turns one, Hash Norat says he's going to rush home for King Charles' first Christmas speech before tucking into his own festive-styled meal.

Feed the Hungry's 2022

Earlier this year Hash Norat gave up his job at Unilever so he could feed around 250 people a day.

More than 40 volunteers will be on hand for Feed the Hungary's Christmas celebrations

He said at the time that the project supported so many people that it had become, in his eyes, the 4th emergency service within Gloucester. He want on to say that he needed more support from the City Council as he was struggling to cover his £3,000 monthly overheads.

In response the Council said they've provided assistance to Mr Norat and will continue to work closely with him.

To finish of his year Hash Norat received a Royal invitation. In recognition of his hard work in the community he was invited by the King to the Together at Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey.

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