A decade of cooking Christmas dinner for people on their own

A church is celebrating its 10th year of hosting a Christmas Day event for those spending it alone.

Company at Christmas is organised by St Fagan's church in Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taf, for people with nowhere else to go.

They offer a Christmas dinner, entertainment and transportation - all free of charge as a result of donations and gifting.

Carolyn Walton, 63, who helps organise, said she attended the first event with her mother.

"We loved it so much, my late mum and I had no where else to go so we thought we would give it a go. After that, I volunteered and have come every year," she said.

The event began in 2015, after a man asked the church if anyone was able to make him dinner.

"We thought, well if he is asking, there are bound to be others spending the day alone," Carolyn said.

The first event was in the church hall but as numbers have grown over the years, they have moved to the local school, St John Baptist Church in Wales High School.

Gordon Evans, 64, lives in Cwmaman and came to the event for the first time in 2023, and will be attending again this Christmas Day.

"I didn't know it existed, someone told me about it and I thought shall I sleep through another Christmas day alone or shall I give it a try":[]}