Horsham town centre pub to offer free Christmas lunches to combat loneliness

The Crown, in the Carfax, is planning to put together a table for people who might otherwise spend the big day on their own.

Manager Karen Dawson said: “We’re doing a ‘No-one Alone’ campaign across Greene King.

“We’re asking for people to nominate some one who would otherwise be on their own and we’re putting together a table for six to eight people to have a free Christmas lunch.”

Last year the pub set up a table for several regulars who normally sit on their own on Christmas Day, according to Karen.

She added: “This year we have actually done a thing where there’s a table where they don’t even pay to eat.

“I have become a single parent so I’m much more conscious of how it feels to be on your own.”

Karen said the Crown is the ‘local in the heart of the community’.

She added: “We have a lot of regulars here, it’s the place where you come because you want to have a chat with somebody, see a friendly face every day and Christmas shouldn’t be any different.”

But the No-one Alone campaign isn’t the only charity work the Crown is doing.

Karen said the pub has a wooden sleigh where people can donate toys, and on New Year’s Eve the pub will be charging £10 entry, with the funds going to cancer charity Macmillan.

She added the pub hoped to ‘give something back to the community that have supported you all year round’.

To nominate someone for a free Christmas lunch either contact the pub by phone or email [email protected]

The recipients of the free Christmas lunches will be drawn on Monday December 23.