London’s Euston Station Hosts Christmas Dinner For The Homeless

The tables are laid!

London’s usually bustling Euston station was transformed into a festive dining hall as it laid on a Christmas day banquet for 200 homeless guests.

Network Rail, which runs the rail network and operates the station, joined forces with charities Streets Kitchen and St Mungo’s to host the dinner, fill the main concourse with decorations and lay the tables.

On the menu was a four-course meal including a roast dinner, smoked salmon, soup and Christmas pudding, enjoyed as the tinkling of a piano playing festive classics echoed through the concourse.

Tables set now! It's a #EustonChristmas pic.twitter.com/GelFo3QL6u

— London Euston (@NetworkRailEUS) December 25, 2017

#EustonChristmas in full swing. Piano is playing carols, smell of turkey is driving me mad, lots of smiling faces, pets being treated, warm winter wear and sleeping bags for all. Great day, great event. Well done @networkrail @colasrailuk @NetworkRailEUS pic.twitter.com/PhSlQq1MDV

— Ewen Rankin (@EwenRankin) December 25, 2017
London's Euston station is usually among the UK's busiest
London's Euston station is usually among the UK's busiest
PA Archive/PA Images

Around 45 volunteers from Network Rail gave up their Christmas Day to work alongside volunteers from St Mungo’s, which provides beds and support to more than 2,700 people in England, and Streets Kitchen, which feeds 1,000 people on the streets every week.

The first guests began arriving at 11am for food, presents and goody bags of toiletries and clothes. Additionally, 200 children from local schools made Christmas cards for all who attended the event at the station, which is usually the UK’s fifth busiest.

Our wonderful volunteers wishing you all a merry Christmas. #eustonChristmas@networkrail @VirginTrains @LNRailway @LDNOverground @CalSleeper pic.twitter.com/2jS8MRhqzD

— London Euston (@NetworkRailEUS) December 25, 2017

Mince pies and volunteers- nearly Ready for lunch. pic.twitter.com/2nHlAshvMY

— London Euston (@NetworkRailEUS) December 25, 2017

The #EustonChristmas Choir are belting them out here @NetworkRailEUS pic.twitter.com/xISFoI4zen

— Ewen Rankin (@EwenRankin) December 25, 2017

Dozens of tables with white tablecloths and red poinsettia plants filled the usually busy concourse, empty of travellers for one day only.

Steve Naybour, from Network Rail, came up with the idea with three colleagues. It was a privilege to provide lunch to people “who may not have expected anything a few days ago”, he said.

He added: “We’ve had 45 companies that have come to us – Pret, Leon – we’ve had really, really nice support from companies giving us thermal socks, giving us hats, giving us coats, giving us sleeping bags, jeans, we’ve got an awful lot from companies coming forward.”

These #EustonHeroes cooking up a storm for #EustonChristmas at @CarltonPrimary
#SolidarityNotCharity pic.twitter.com/AtIiruqd3j

— Streets Kitchen (@streetskitchen) December 24, 2017

Dozens of volunteers from the rail company, St Mungo’s homelessness charity and Streets Kitchen gave up their time to ensure the event ran smoothly.

Rebecca Sycamore, director of development at St Mungo’s, said: “There are loads of volunteers here today who have given up their time to make sure the guests get an amazing welcome, I think a lot of thought has been put into making people feel really special and we are really happy to be part of it and to have invited clients living in our hostels and temporary accommodation so that they really get to have a really lovely Christmas Day.”

The guests she had spoken to were “enjoying being around other people and having something to look forward to on Christmas morning”, she said.

She added: “We all can see in our communities that homelessness is increasing and that people are really struggling.

200 children from the local school wrote letters to the homeless who are coming to have lunch with us at #EustonChristmas #ChristmasDay pic.twitter.com/Hq0k11bpqo

— Boglarka Kosztolanyi (@kboglarka_) December 25, 2017

Today I’m helping @NetworkRailEUS @networkrail & @colasrailuk feed 200 homeless Londoners #EustonChristmas pic.twitter.com/Dhd2xsSA5e

— Ewen Rankin (@EwenRankin) December 25, 2017

“There’s lots of issues that surround that, poor mental health, physical health, relationship breakdown, and obviously it’s a really, really difficult time.

“Being homeless is tough enough, but at Christmas I think we can all try and imagine what it would be like not to have anything and really understand why it’s so important that events like this are happening.“

High praise for the idea has been expressed on social media, along with suggestions other train stations follow suit.

Andy Gilman tweeted: “Well done for making Christmas so much better for those who really need it. Merry Christmas to you all.” Sarah Buckmaster added: “Hearing about Euston Christmas has made my year - beautiful idea! Wishing everyone there a wonderful Christmas - let’s make 2018 a year full of compassion.”

The Euston Station Christmas is a heart warming display of the true sentiment of Christmas, hopefully this can be a new tradition and spread to other empty stations next Christmas🎄#EustonChristmas

— J Martin (@JMartin1918) December 25, 2017

Well done #London for supporting #Homeless people and all the volunteers at #EustonChristmas .. what wonderful people you are #MerryChristmasEveryone 🎅🏽🎄🎅🏽

— Deborah Morgan 🐞 (@DeblaaDeeZa) December 25, 2017

Hearing about #EustonChristmas has made my year - beautiful idea! Wishing everyone there a wonderful Christmas - let’s make 2018 a year full of compassion

— Sarah Buckmaster (@sbuckmaster) December 25, 2017

Well done #EustonChristmas for making Christmas so much better for those who really need it. Merry Christmas to you all.

— Andy Gilman (@GilmanAndy) December 25, 2017

Truly wonderful to see Euston station hosting Christmas dinner for over two-hundred people. #EustonChristmas

— Kristian Ross (@Kristian7Ross) December 25, 2017

#EustonChristmas is such a beautiful idea, along with other spaces and places doing so. That's the true spirit of christmas. Long may it continue,

— Reubs (@reubenoconnell) December 25, 2017

Congratulations to everyone volunteering their time to offer meals and shelter to others #EustonChristmas and elsewhere across the country! Merry Christmas.

— Ros Micklem (@rosmicklem) December 25, 2017

Congratulations to everyone volunteering their time to offer meals and shelter to others #EustonChristmas and elsewhere across the country! Merry Christmas.

— Ros Micklem (@rosmicklem) December 25, 2017

I'm quite a cynical, angry guy, but have lot of love for the people volunteering at Euston. #EustonChristmas

— Dash Riprock (@FxHansa) December 25, 2017

Pondering on what main towns & cities have their equivalent of #EustonChristmas, & how to guide any cold & lonely on the streets to those open doors.

— Dave H (@BCCletts) December 25, 2017
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