AN Aberystwyth café is “reaching out to the community” by providing free Christmas day meals to the “lonely and vulnerable”.

Owner of Home Café Ahmet Acikel started providing free meals on Christmas Day for the community about six or seven years ago. But Ahmet is excited to invite people in for their meals again this year after last year the meals had to be take-away due to Covid-19.

Jane Dodgeon, founder of social enterprise group Love Life Projects, is hoping to help Ahmet serve the community on Christmas Day.

“Ahmet started the Christmas lunches about six to seven years ago,” Jane said.

“Home Café has a lovely warm family atmosphere and a lot of local people go in there throughout the year for a cup of coffee and to mix with other people.

“They always run specials to cater for vulnerable people, like a jacket potato with cheese and beans for £3.99, or a bacon roll and a cup of coffee for £2.99.

“People used to talk about Christmas and how they were lonely because they were on their own and didn’t have any family around, so that’s where the idea of a Christmas meal came about. One day, Ahmet also saw someone lying on the pavement outside the Spar shop and he talked to him. Although he didn’t say much, again the loneliness and being on his own at Christmas came up.

“Ahmet has always focused on supporting local communities, I know several groups meet their regularly, and he has always supported Love Life Projects.

“I don’t think we realise how many lonely and vulnerable people are around at Christmas. For most, it’s a festive time, but for a lot of people a very difficult time. It was important to Ahmet to reach out to people who supported him throughout the year, to give a little back into their pockets and help them out on what could be a difficult day for them. When everybody else is singing and being happy, and the TV programmes are full of festive cheer.

“And for some, not necessarily just through loneliness and homelessness, but maybe even because of bereavement and finding Christmas a time they don’t want to celebrate, like me for instance. I am hoping this year to go and help out, it was planned for last year but Covid-19 shut it down.”

Home Café are asking for any donations, either food, puddings or presents, to be dropped off at the café. They are asking for any presents to be wrapped and labelled for a female or a male.

Jane added: “I know that over the years other local businesses have also donated, like Bookers and Morrison. It really is an event that reaches out to community - and that’s what life is all about.”

Jane said Ahmet has always been an avid supporter of Love Life Projects, a “very small, not-for-profit organisation, that supports learning disabled young adults in the community”, which has “several different projects running that are attended by our members - craft, woodwork, an allotment, and jewellery making”.