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They say ordinary people do extraordinary things and meeting the team behind A Bite n Banter for Christmas verifies this 100%. Not only do they make sure the delicious 'bite' is there on the day but also the 'banter' as Conor Morgan describes the committee to Newry.ie "We're like a dysfunctional family, The Royle Family of Newry"
A Bite n Banter for Christmas is all about making sure that no-one has to spend Christmas Day alone, and all are welcome to come along to Newry Gateway Club for Christmas dinner, with plenty of music fun and crack, from 1pm on Christmas Day. Santa is even rumoured to be making an appearance! Most importantly it all is free. To make this possible local people who will be preparing meals at home anyway are asked to consider plating up an extra dinner (without gravy) on a plate you don't want back and dropping it off to the organisers at the door of the Gateway from 12 noon.
Ten Years
This year the astounding community initiative is going ten years with the team of organisers more enthusiastic than ever, and in many ways it has helped them to enjoy Christmas.
Made up of Elaine Cole, Orla Devlin, David Hayes, Tommy Jones, Cara Malone, Margaret McShane and Conor Morgan the volunteers have their work cut out, with the event getting larger ever year, but teamwork and humour keep them going.
Cara Malone explains "It started 10 years ago because a few of us had experienced people being alone at Christmas, and we got together and thought, if we could do something. There's lots of charities about for people who don't have, for people who need, but there was nothing for people who are on their own and we thought, especially at such a time it was difficult for those people and that maybe we could plug that gap in a small way.
"We started off thinking, we'd do 10 dinners and last year we did 135 so the need is there. We also take orders if people are not able to leave the house, say through ill health and we deliver dinners and hampers out."
When asked what he got out of it Tommy Jones quipped "About £150,000 and sore feet" but in truth they all get so much out of it.
A Christmas Tale
Tommy describes a wonderfully uplifting and tear provoking Christmas story that happened to him on the first year of the initiative back in 2014.
"On the very first one. I was driving around Newry on Christmas Eve picking stuff up from all the local pickup stations. We were near finished with maybe one to do. The one before that a guy had rang who had left off stuff for us. I went to pick it up and when I'd picked up all the other stuff, the girl says, to me 'Oh, by the way, there's a man dropped stuff off for you - it's out the back' I went out the back and there was a turkey which was about the size of an ostrich, It was massive! They'd also left bags of vegetables, potatoes and ham. And I thought realistically, which was what we were all thinking at the start, what if nobody turns up - mainly because it was the first one (although I think we always say this).
"I was in a shop and this woman came in, it was about half four on Christmas Eve and she was looking for a turkey breast but the butcher said 'we've nothing left, all we've got is sausages'. I overheard the conversation, and in my head I thought I'll get rid of this turkey! So i followed the woman out the door and I says, excuse me, I couldn't help hearing your conversation in there, I might be able to help you.
Tommy continued "I said I've got something here I can give to you. Where's your car? She was driving this wee battered red car and she'd two children in it. I just knew she didn't have a big lot and I asked her to open her boot. She opened the boot and I went to the van, lifted out the turkey and ham and some vegetables, and I got selection boxes and some toys and stuff and filled the boot up.
"Glad to get rid of the turkey I said all the best and she was 'what do i owe you' and I said, just take that as a random act of kindness and I told her what we were doing on Christmas Day.
"I went back into the shop to collect my stuff and when I came back out again, the woman was sitting in the car crying. It was only then that I realised what I'd just done and I cried the whole way across the town, I was so overcome. Even now it brings a lump to my throat. The whole thing was 'what if nobody turns up' but I thought, well if nobody else turns up and that is what we've done there, that small thing, well we've done our bit. Thankfully though that wasn't our bit and it gets busier and busier every year. People coming from as far as for Banbridge, Castlewellan, Markethill. At the very start, we had four old men coming, the next year there was only three and the next year there was none."
Everyone Welcome
The team emphasise that everyone is welcome and they're not interested in peoples background etc. Tommy adds "You could have hundreds of thousands in the bank and be sitting at home eating a ham sandwich and that could be your lot. It doesn't matter what you have, if you're on your own come down here"
Conor Morgan said "We always say, even if this day only changes one person's day, it's been a success. Last year was a testament to that. Last year we did so many dinners It was frightening."
On the day there will be music, Santa, and plenty of volunteers to keep everyone in crack.
Elaine Cole said "We always panic at this time of the year that we won't have the numbers. "
Not having enough dinners is what makes them panic most. If you would like to help that is where you can come in. Elaine explains "if they just plate up the dinner, preferably with no gravy on a plate that they don't want returned and just drop it down to us on Christmas Day from 12 noon." The team can also collect stuff from people and pick people that want to come along up.
Tommy said "You can guarantee if you bring a dinner down here it is going to help somebody "
'It's Better Than Christmas Day'
All the team say that being involved helps make it feel like a proper Christmas.
Team member Orla Devlin explained "This is my first year helping to organise it. I first came down about seven or eight years ago and I didn't know what it would be like but I didn't want to leave.
"Christmas wouldn't feel like Christmas if I couldn't come here, and the drive home is extremely humbling to know that you're going home to a warm home, a lot more than what some people have on Christmas day."
Margaret McShane said "I'd worked shift work up until about 10 or 12, years ago, therefore my Christmas week was always a bit chaotic.
"And then I wasn't working over Christmas, and Bite n Banter gave me structure. Claire my daughter, was with me at the start and it has given us a new tradition, something just a wee bit different. It's good crack."
Tommy adds "It's better than Christmas Day. There's so many people here for dinner and so many volunteers.There's no harsh words. Everybody's laughing and joking, whereas you could be sitting in the house looking at the news."
Volunteering
Tommy points out that they get as much out of it as those who come along "It wasn't just to benefit the people who are on their own. We all, at one stage, probably had a real bad Christmas." His father died at Christmas but being involved in Bite n Banter helps a lot "sitting out there chatting to people and listening to everybody yacking and laughing and joking where otherwise you'd be sitting at home looking at TV."
Thinking of what a difference their volunteers make Conor explains "Last year we had a volunteer who came up from Warrenpoint and all I asked him to do was to talk to people, and he couldn't believe that was helping, just talking to someone. And that's how small it is, giving somebody that small bit of company is a change of somebody elses life."
Cara added "It's always said 'The way to feel better about yourself is to do for others' - That's what a lot of our volunteers get, there's a feel-good factor."
Generosity
Last year 135 dinners were served at Newry Gateway Club with around 80 dinners delivered to people in their homes. The success of the initiative relies heavily on the generosity of the community and local businesses. Through their support, organisers are able to collect donations for hampers and dinners that will be served on Christmas Day at the Gateway Club, located at 20 Kilmorey Street in Newry.
Elaine Cole concludes "We are incredibly grateful for all our volunteers who graciously give up their own Christmas to make this event possible. It’s a touching reminder of the spirit of giving at this time of year."
Contact Them
The Bite n Banter event will be open on Christmas Day from 1pm-6pm. Organisers invite anyone who could benefit from their services, or know someone who could, to reach out by calling 07783671217.
For more information on where you can make donations, check out their Facebook page A Bite n Banter for Christmas
