For the third year running Network Rail and the Midland Langar Seva Society charity laid on dinners for hundreds of homeless people as they put on a festive feast during Christmas Eve at Birmingham's New Street Station. But they say holding an indoor event was not possible this year because of coronavirus restrictions. Instead, 250 takeaway meals were prepared for homeless people, as well as Christmas gifts.
Patrick Power, Birmingham New Street station manager, said: "Because of social distancing we couldn't hold the meal inside in the warm as we would like, so we had to think about how to do things in a different way." In previous years tables were set up on the station plaza for a sit-down meal, but this year the food and gifts were being given out between 17:00 and 19:00 on December 24 for people to take away.
To make sure the event was safe, disposable masks and hand sanitisers were given to people as they join the socially distanced queue, Network Rail said. There was also two portable sinks in the queuing area, to allow people to wash their hands, it added. And all the food was prepared by the Midland Langar Seva Society off-site at a kitchen in Smethwick.
Bal Thandi, from the charity, said the volunteers wanted to make sure the event went ahead in spite of the restrictions to "put smiles on people's faces. Especially because of Covid and the rules and regulations, people couldn't meet, so it is important during the festive season to make people smile, give them a hot meal and clothes and presents.
"It is thanks to the support of everybody that we were been able to put it together."
