St Swithun’s Church, in the south of Sheffield, will be hosting free Christmas dinners on 18 December in addition to the free weekly dinners that the church hosts every Thursday.

The church is part of Sheffield Manor Parish, a large inner city parish in the east side of Sheffield.

Sarah Short, is a church goer and a Manor Parish community kitchen volunteer, she said: “My role is just to be around and offer food for people and community that might not get it out there.

“We are expecting around 100 people.”

According to Ms Short, these dinners are not simply about the food, they are about forming a community.

She stated: “There’s quite a few people that come in regularly, it’s their night out. Once a week, coming in and talking to other people.

“I think that as a community we all come together. Sharing a meal is great, but chatting and finding out about other people is just as important.”

The scheme is called ‘pay as you feel’ an initiative that allows St Swithun’s community to chip in in any way they can. The church is also partnered with the S2 community food bank, ensuring that any surplus of food will not be wasted.

The church is looking to expand their community in the future, by partnering with other local churches and libraries to create other community kitchens, as well as expand into other areas of Sheffield. Ms Short also hopes to be able to offer free dinners for other holidays such as Easter.

Ms Short concluded: “Manor Parish Community Church is a faith-led initiative but with a heart in the community, aiming to get people together to share a meal.”