'Our club opens for the lonely on Christmas Day'

A football club in Lancashire is throwing open its doors once again on Christmas Day to anyone who might be alone after the "incredible" festive success of the same event last year.

Chorley FC opened up for the first time last year and about 70 people popped in for turkey sandwiches, warm drinks, games and other treats

"Last year we heard from so many people who said that if we hadn't opened our doors, they would have spent the day alone," Darren Jenkinson, chair of Chorley FC Community Foundation, said.

He said: "That's something we just couldn't turn our backs on."

There is no requirement to book ahead needed, everyone is welcome to go down to Victory Park on Duke Street between 12 noon and 16:00 GMT and "just walk through the door", Mr Jenkinson said.

He said: "The thing that really convinced me to go ahead with it again this year was the stories from people who came last year.

"One woman told us she'd had a family fall out, and she told us she would have spent Christmas Day on her own."

He said last year's event "turned into such an incredible day" after "people turned up that were on their own and just wanted to be around people".

"There were some that wanted to offer that support to be around people who wouldn't have anyone," Mr Jenkinson said.

"We even had some of the first team players come down with their kids because they wanted their kids to know that it's not all about gifts and being at home and eating lots of food."

"It was a very powerful day. It felt like the community got so much from it."

He said: "This year one of the team said 'are we going to do this again?' and we all said 'of course we are, we'd be silly not to'"

This year has gone "crazy" with people offering to donate, he said.

"It's incredibly humbling, when you have an idea that you think might help other people, and everyone else jumps in and says they want to be a part of it as well, it's incredibly validating," he said.

"We've had donations from Iceland, Marks and Spencer, Asda, but also members of the public. I think it's what Chorley does well.

"When someone needs help this is the sort of area and the sort of football club where that just happens because it's the right thing to do.

"But there's a bigger message there - it's the time of year where it's not just about looking after yourself, it's about considering what other people are going through."

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