Royal Oak hosts festive lunch for 50

The Royal Oak pub in Exminster has once again demonstrated its commitment to the local community by hosting a festive Christmas lunch for up to 50 older people supported by Westbank Community Health and Care, a health and wellbeing charity based in the village.

Guests enjoyed a delicious three-course meal, with entertainment provided by Exminster Primary School’s Year 6 choir, who sang a selection of Christmas carols. The event was organised to bring people together and spread some festive cheer.

Among the attendees was Ruth Coren, a 100-year-old former nurse from Exminster, who is set to celebrate her 101st birthday in the New Year.

Reflecting on the day, she said, “Rosie from Westbank kindly picked me up today to bring me here. I think it’s wonderful. I’m lucky to have family nearby, who I’ll be spending Christmas with, but it’s lovely to come along to this and socialise with everybody.”

First-time attendee John Williams, whose wife is in a care home, expressed his gratitude for the invitation. “I know quite a few people who are here, and it was a nice surprise to be invited along,” he said.

Hazel Horne, a Westbank volunteer, highlighted the importance of events like these: “Everyone has their own interesting story to tell, and that’s what it’s about—getting a spark going. You can invoke memories with just a little conversation. It’s about sharing connections, not just food.”

Another guest, Susan Ingham, attended the event with her daughter and carer. She shared, “I recently lost my husband, and I go along to a community club at Westbank every Tuesday. I sit with Hazel—we’re the Quiz Queens! We’re having a lovely time together today.”

Annette German, a longstanding Westbank volunteer who helped serve lunch at the event, praised the initiative. “People love coming here for this event. It gives them a chance to mingle with other people from Westbank, not just their regular group, and I think it gets them in the festive spirit. Some of them are so alone, and they love being able to natter to people,” she said.

Rosie Fellows, Westbank’s Community Development Manager, expressed her gratitude to The Royal Oak for its generosity. “The Royal Oak generously pays for all this as their seasonal community offering to the people of Exminster,” she said. “Westbank personally invited people from across our community groups and services, including Coffee on the Corner, and we lay on transport to make sure that anyone who wants to come can get here.”

She added, “I think it’s a really lovely reflection of the village and the community spirit here. This is the second time in a few months that children from the local school have come to sing for our elderly. It’s wonderful to nurture those partnerships and connections that help to bridge the gap between different generations.”

The event marked another successful collaboration between The Royal Oak and Westbank, celebrating the true spirit of Christmas through community connection and kindness.