RESIDENTS were given a early Christmas gift last week when a church threw open its doors for a free festive dinner.

The Come Dine With Us event at the Regeneration Church in Gidea Park was attended by families, pensioners and homeless people last Friday December 17.

One of the organisers of the event, Addy Ademakinwa said: “It was a really fun day because it saw all different people regardless of their age and race coming together and just mixing.

“We find that sometimes there is a lot of ageism but one good thing about this event is that everyone was able to come together and to get something for free for a change.”

The event saw all the residents getting stuck into a free Christmas Turkey dinner with all the trimmings.

They were also treated to live entertainment from the church choir singing traditional festive songs like Silent Night.

The event was organised by around 30 young people in the community to try to reach out to people who may feel isolated during the festive period.

Addy said: “The day was really important because the whole point of it was so that people could know that there is a sense of community out there.

“We really wanted to welcome people from all different walks of life so that they would know that they are not alone.”

The group are also planning a special Christmas Eve service on Thursday December 23 from 7.30pm.