A charity’s struggle to find a venue for its traditional Christmas event is over.
The Great Yarmouth Open Christmas meal, for homeless and vulnerable people in the borough, will be held this year at Great Yarmouth Minster.
The annual Christmas Day gathering, which has run for 21 years and is organised wholly by volunteers with the help of donations, provides a free Christmas meal and festive cheer for people who would otherwise be on their own or have to go without on December 25.
With the closure of the Marina Centre, which historically hosted the event, there had been concerns the charity might not be able to host its festive meal.
And organisers had lined up a replacement venue but it fell through.
But discussions between the Open Christmas volunteers and representatives of both the Minster and Great Yarmouth Community Trust, which runs the Priory Centre next door, resulted in the new arrangement.
The Open Christmas volunteers will cook the meals in the kitchen at the Priory Centre and host the event in the northern aisle of the Minster.
The council is supplying equipment including chairs and tables, and Town Hall porter Roger Smith is kindly volunteering his services, also free of charge.
The drop-in event will take place between 11.30am and 3pm, with Christmas lunch served for about 400 people between 12.30pm and 2pm.
Belinda Roll, secretary of Great Yarmouth Open Christmas, said: "We are delighted to be hosting this year's event at the stunning Great Yarmouth Minster and are very grateful to all involved at the borough council, the Minster and the Priory Centre who helped to make this happen.
"Now that the venue is secured, it is all systems go to get everything in place."
The charity is appealing to the public and local businesses for donations of money and goods.
The Rev Canon Simon Ward, of Great Yarmouth Minster, said: "The Minster is a place for everyone.
"Therefore it feels like the most natural thing for our doors to be wide open for all on Christmas Day."
For more information, to register to volunteer or to donate, please visit www.openchristmasgreatyarmouth.org
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