Stroud charity attempts to create longest Christmas dinner table
The Long Table want to combat loneliness and isolation by joining communities together
Last updated 11th Dec 2022
The 'Longest Table' won't take place in one room. Instead the charity want to make it as big as possible by people holding their own events and inviting those who may have nowhere else to go.
Running until Sunday the 18th of December in an attempt combat loneliness and isolation. The Long Table want local communities in Stroud, the Cotswolds and beyond to come together and share their Christmas spirit.
The charity say that access to food, even though hard for many, is "the easy bit".
Will North is The Long Table's operations manager, he explains "the problem is that if you're given food, you're still lonely."
He adds the campaign is "a collective exercise in eating together, considering who we're eating with, and changing someone's life for that moment if they were eating alone.
"When your sat and you're sharing food you find out if someone is having issues that they want to share or they need their shopping done or they need their lawn mowed.
"Simple things that can make a change in their life.
"Too often now our communities are broken apart for various reasons, and foods a great leveller."
Doing hospitality differently
On face value The Long Table is a restaurant. it was originally set up in 2018 with one simple aim, to do hospitality differently. All their meals are pay as you can, so that everyone in their community has access to high quality food and people to eat with and talk to.
If want to take help The Long Table create the Longest Christmas Dinner table you can sign up on their website.