Chesterfield FC Community Trust can confirm that the HUB will open on Christmas Day, from 9 am to 11 am, for breakfast and drinks with Andrea Parkinson, Olly Parkinson and Kerry Owen, in order to combat loneliness during the festive period.
Andrea, who is head of healthy communities, said: “We’re doing it for anyone really that’s not going to see anyone on Christmas Day.
“Christmas Day is kind of advertised as a family day and everyone getting together, but we do recognise that there are people in our community who don’t see anyone and haven’t got that family support.
“Olly, who is the adult lead at the Trust, Kerry, in the café, and I will be there. We will be offering breakfast, and it’s a chance for people just to come, we’ll give them a little gift, and just see someone on a special day of the year.
“Just come and spend time with someone that you’re familiar with, from the Trust’s various programmes, who are there for you. I’m really excited by it, and it’s something that the community needs; we recognise that.”
Andrea added that no booking is required and that anybody can turn up on the day, saying: “People don’t have to tell us that they’re coming. We’ve said we’re going to open regardless, so we’ve not put any pressure on people booking.”
Speaking about when she first had the idea, Andrea said: “We picked it up a few years ago in one of our internal sessions where we gave presents out, and one lady put it in her bag.
“We asked her if she was opening it, and she went into it that she never gets presents and doesn’t see anyone on Christmas. So that first triggered thoughts that we’d open for a part of the day.
“We opened two years ago, in 2023, and we got eight people who came down to the HUB. But even if one person came, we know that we’re making a huge difference to that one person’s day.”
