NetworkRailEUS/TwitterEuston Station has been transformed from a miserable train station to a magnificent Christmas dining room for London’s homeless population.
Network Rail have joined forces with charities Streets Kitchen and St Mungo’s to host the dinner and have filled the station with decorations, delicious food and other Christmas treats.
45 generous volunteers took time from their own family and given up their Christmases to feed the homeless along with volunteers from St Mungo’s and Streets Kitchen.
These #EustonHeroes cooking up a storm for #EustonChristmas at @CarltonPrimary
❤#SolidarityNotCharity pic.twitter.com/AtIiruqd3j— Streets Kitchen (@streetskitchen) December 24, 2017
Doors opened at 11 am and those attending will receive a slap-up Christmas dinner along with goody bags full of toiletries and clothes.
200 children from local schools have made Christmas cards for all who attend the event as well.
Head of transformation in Network Rail’s track team, Steve Naybour, is leading the team running the event.
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
He told the Huffington Post:
Thousands and thousands of my colleagues will already be working on Christmas Day to improve the railway for passengers.
Working on Christmas Day is pretty much par for the course for many of us who work for Network Rail but this year, because I wasn’t scheduled to work, myself and a handful of colleagues came up with this plan to feed some of London’s homeless instead. St Mungo’s and Streets Kitchen have been fantastic.
And I’m proud to say we’ve had lots of interest from Network Rail colleagues to volunteer to come along on the day to help out.
Today I’m helping @NetworkRailEUS @networkrail & @colasrailuk feed 200 homeless Londoners #EustonChristmas pic.twitter.com/Dhd2xsSA5e
— Ewen Rankin (@EwenRankin) December 25, 2017
Joe Hendry, Euston station manager, explained that stations are at the heart of local communities.
He went on to add that they want to provide a legacy through good relationships with organisations like St Mungo’s and Streets Kitchen promising they’ll do their best to support the homeless community in and around the station long after Christmas is over.
More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
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