Community church celebrates ten years of free Christmas dinners

A POPULAR festive initiative by Omagh Community Church which has fed hundreds of local people for free on Christmas day is celebrating its tenth anniversary.

This year’s dinner at the church, which is situated on Omagh’s High Street, will be able to have a full house for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.

Twelve months ago, the church was forced to limit capacity due to ongoing Covid risks.

More than 100 people are expected to sit down on Christmas Day to enjoy a free meal.

Over the course of the last decade, around a thousand people have been fed by the tireless volunteers.

Speaking with the UH, Pastor Tim Shiels of Omagh Community Church said that he would like to ‘praise’ the people of the town for their generosity, and hoped that the event would be able to continue for another ten years.

“It is only with the great generosity of local people that we are able to make the event a success,” he said.

“Over the last ten years, the people of Omagh have been so generous, and I believe that the annual Christmas dinner is the best thing our church does to help people locally.

“This year will be the first since the beginning of the pandemic that we will be able to have a full house.

“We are hoping to feed more than 100 people on December 25, and we can now ensure that everyone who needs to can attend, thanks to our new lift which allows access to the church for everyone in the community.

“We have a superb team who help organise this event every year and ensure that the event runs smoothly.

“I believe that the event always has a warm and embracing atmosphere that welcomes everyone who attends.”

The pastor added, “Anyone who wishes to make a donation or volunteer for the event can do so by contacting the church directly on our email address.

“I always really like to emphasise that this event is not just for church members, it is a community event that everyone can contribute to.”

l To contact the Omagh Community Church for more information on the event or to make a donation, email the church directly at office@omaghcommunitychurch.com