Christmas came early for a group of Ottery residents who enjoyed a free party at Otter Garden Centre, complete with a full Christmas dinner.

We opened up our festively decorated conservatory to elderly local people who are going to be on their own on Christmas day.

51 residents came along to enjoy a traditional meal including a traditional roast with vegetarian option, a choice of puddings followed by coffee. To get the festive spirit going, guests also enjoyed wine on the table and had fun pulling the all-important Christmas crackers.

9 volunteers from the Ottery Help Scheme came along to help out and join in the celebrations, which included a talented entertainer providing background music for the afternoon. Everyone joined in with carols at the end of the afternoon.

Otter Managing Director, Jacqui Taylor said: “The Christmas season can be a lonely time for those on their own. It was heartwarming to see so many locals having such a lovely time.

“We would all like to say a special thank you to former Mayor Glyn Dobson who organised the party. Even though he’s retired, Glyn is always thinking about ways of bringing happiness to the local community.”

The event was put on by Otter as part of the company’s 60 Good Deeds campaign, celebrating its sixtieth year in business. It was inspired by the late Betty Williams whose ‘lunch for the lonely at Christmas’ held at the Lamb and Flag made national headlines in 2014.