Tolly Boy hosts surprise Xmas lunch for elders

In a heart-warming gesture, Tolly Boy Rice showcased the true spirit of the festive season and spread love, togetherness and celebration by hosting a surprise Christmas feast for the elderly of the Afro Caribbean Elders Association at the William Morris Community Centre, Walthamstow, London.

During Christmas, due to frail health or lack of funds, elderly Africans tend to spend a good part of their day at the local centre playing games with friends before heading home to a possible lonely evening. This year Tolly Boy Rice decided to make the most of the festive season and give these individuals a Christmas to remember for years to come.

The elderly at the Centre were treated to sumptuous Jollof Rice and comforting Rice and Peas, both prepared using Tolly Boy Rice, accompanied by a warm chicken stew, making it a fabulous festive treat. Traditional rice dish recipes and cooking tips were the talk of the afternoon. For many of the members, Jollof Rice brought back happy memories of the food they enjoyed growing up and of past celebrations with family and friends.

Mel Ennis who is the Chairperson of the William Morris Community Centre said, "We try to ensure that all our members feel cared for and have someone to share a cup of tea or a game of cards with. These afternoon sessions are always popular with the elderly as they offer a positive outlet and are a great way to promote bonding amongst the community. Loneliness can be terrible and our activities are aimed at ensuring everyone’s interests are looked after. Initiatives like this are always welcome as they help inject joy during this joyous period. We would like to thank Tolly Boy Rice for being a part of our Christmas celebrations with their wonderful feast and the engaging game which had everyone’s rapt attention."

Ruby Martine who is one of the regulars at the Centre was surprised by the initiative and said: "We were expecting a regular day and when we entered it was a pleasant surprise to be treated to such a delicious lunch by Tolly Boy Rice along with gift hampers and fun games for everyone."

Another member, Mildred Thompson commented, “Tolly Boy Rice has touched our hearts with this beautiful surprise. It was a great afternoon for me and my friends. We are one big family here and I eagerly look forward to meeting them at the Centre. I have happy memories of this afternoon to look back on and will savour these moments.”

Always endeavouring to do something special for the community, Senior Brand Manager  - Tolly Boy Rice, Steven Perry said: "At Tolly Boy Rice we always try and give something back to the community. This year, we thought why not surprise members of the community by spreading a bit of festive cheer and being a part of their celebrations? It was heart-warming to see the happiness and glow on the faces of those present on the day and we were happy to be a part of the community celebrations."