Friday Lunch Club – Chichester Cathedral

Chichester Cathedral has teamed up with a local restaurant company and local art gallery to support older, lonely and vulnerable local people and raise much needed funds.

The Friday Lunch Club offers a free two-course freshly made lunch, delivered directly to lonely local person’s door every Friday.

Each week a new menu is created and published online on Chichester Cathedral’s website.

Residents are invited to make their booking by phone or email. A member of the Friday Lunch Club will then be in touch to arrange a delivery slot on the Friday and a two-course meal, including a main dish and dessert, is hand delivered by cathedral staff observing strict Covid-guidelines.

Whilst meals are free, voluntary donations to Chichester Cathedral and/or the Pallant House Gallery are most welcome.

The initiative was devised by Nick Sutherland, Director of the Sussex Pub Company which operate a number of restaurants and eateries across the West Sussex region, including the Pallant Café.

The Dean of Chichester, The Very Reverend Stephen Waine, said:

“The Friday Lunch Club was set up in response to the isolation and loneliness many in our community are experiencing as a result of the pandemic, and we are incredibly grateful to Nick and his team for working with us and encourage the public to share word of this initiative to those in Chichester who most need it.”

Said Nick Sutherland:

“This latest lockdown is so tough on us all, but particularly for older people, many of whom live on their own. The teams at Pallant Café and Purchases all wanted to help by doing something for lonely local people to look forward to even if it’s once a week.”

Simon Martin, Director of Pallant House Gallery, said:
“Having lunch in the Pallant Café has been an important part of the experience of visiting Pallant House Gallery. Even though our doors at Pallant House Gallery are currently closed, the importance of the arts for our sense of community, creativity and well-being has never been more apparent. At this difficult time we are grateful both to Nick and his team for their innovative initiative to help support members of our community and for the donations in support of the Gallery’s programmes.”

More here : chichestercathedral.org.uk/friday-lunch-club