The organisers of a community lunch club in Woodside are celebrating the arrival of new equipment following donations from a local family and Watford housing association.

The Friday Feast, which takes place every week at the Church of the Nazarene, in The Brow, is run by volunteers to give people in the area an opportunity to meet up over an affordable, healthy meal.

Since starting last November the events have been such a success that the church’s old cooker was unable to cope, while the volunteers could no longer manage to hand wash the dishes. 

The family of Diane Hill, who died in July after a two-year fight with breast cancer, has paid for a new dishwasher in her memory.

Diane was a popular figure in the local community and a volunteer at Woodside Community Café, a forerunner to the Friday Feast.

And the Watford Community Housing Trust has funded a new cooking range from its Community Development Fund. 

Erica Tuxworth, pastor at the Church of the Nazarene, said: "The trust gave us some funding for a fantastic new cooker. We had a bit left over which we were going to spend on the dishwasher, but then we got the donation from Diane’s family which was a lovely surprise. So that means the housing trust money can go a bit further.

"We’re very grateful for these wonderful donations, which mean the Friday Feast can continue to go from strength to strength.

"The Friday Feast is a way of getting people out of the house to meet up with their neighbours. It’s for everyone, whether they are connected with the Church or not, and we get people of all ages every week. There’s a fantastic atmosphere."