LEFTOVERS from Christmas feasts will be welcomed at a New Year’s Eve celebration with a difference at a Dursley Tabernacle.

The church is backing Christian Aid’s Enough for Everyone Christmas appeal which highlights the impact of hunger and malnutrition on families in sub-Saharan Africa and food waste in the UK.

Everyone is being invited to the lunchtime ‘bring and share’ banquet and to make a donation to the charity. Dried goods will also be donated to the foodbank in Dursley.

Figures published last week following a Christian Aid survey show that 44 per cent of people in the South West admit to overspending on food over Christmas.

Every pound donated by the public to Christian Aid’s appeal will be matched by the government up to £2.7million with the money used on projects to tackle hunger in South Sudan.

One of the banquet organisers Clare Nutbrown said: “Hunger is unacceptable. There is enough food in the world to feed everyone.

“Yet every day thousands of the world’s most vulnerable children die or have their growth stunted as a result of lack of food.

“But the beauty is, this appeal gives us all an opportunity to make a difference and UK Aid Match means we can make twice the difference. Even if it’s just putting back that extra box of mince pies.

“The banquet is an opportunity to celebrate, use up our festive leftovers, count our blessings and express our desire to share those blessings as we move into 2018. Please come and join us.”

The New Year’s Eve banquet will start from midday following a special all-age, café-style service from 10.30am-11.30am. Everyone is welcome to join in.

Christian Aid has launched a stop-motion film which uses singing food from the traditional Christmas dinner and a customised version of The Twelve Days of Christmas, to highlight the food waste.

To learn more about the Enough for Everyone appeal, visit christianaid.org.uk/christmas-appeal