NEXT week will see dozens of care leavers enjoy a Christmas Day to remember at the home of Action Transport Theatre in Ellesmere Port.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of volunteers and fundraisers in Ellesmere Port, Chester and the wider area, about 35 young people aged 18-25 will be transported to Whitby Hall for a big Christmas dinner and will receive meaningful presents that will make a difference, all at no cost to them.

The event will be one of 17 held across the UK as part of the Lemn Sissay Foundation's Christmas Day project, an annual feat spearheaded by poet, artist and writer Lemn Sissay MBE.

Ellesmere Port Christmas Dinner project director Graham Lister, speaking to The Standard, explained how the project came to be at Action Transport Theatre's home, how the community has rallied round to support it, and how this aims to be the start of an annual event in the town.

He said: "It comes from the work we have been doing with Action Transport Theatre [ATT] over the last couple of years. When we opened Storyhouse I was doing work with Nina Hajiyianni – ATT artistic director – and her organisation.

"I am a board member of Z-Arts and they work with ATT, hosting their shows in their buildings such as Beauty and the Beast at Liverpool's Unity Theatre.

"I have been trying to look at ways to celebrate them, to shine a light on them and the work they do, as ATT is better known outside Ellesmere Port than within. I have known Lemn Sissay for years and his Christmas Dinner project, so in late September I said to Nina: 'How about this Christmas Dinner project?'

"She replied 'Oh my God, yes!' but she added there are issues with resources, as they would be in a show in Liverpool.

"So we put together a steering group, following the Lemn Sissay Foundation model's set of guidelines."

The steering group features volunteers from Chester and Ellesmere Port, with ATT representation, and over the past two months has helped gather donations and support so the dream of holding a big festive event for 35 young people on Christmas Day can be made a reality.

Explaining how the care leavers benefit from the day, Graham said: "These young people have not had many opportunities in life and every so often they have been let down. I have two children aged 25 and 23 and I still feel a duty to support them; these young people, on many occasions, have no-one from the age of 18.

"On the day, it should not feel institutionalised. They don't get one present, they get a sackful of presents. We give them a collection of gifts knowing what they would like.

"We are all pulling in favours – we have exceeded our fundraising targets and people have been buying gifts – that's nice to see the community doing that. Volunteers on the steering group are giving up their spare time for nothing. Some brilliant people have come together for it and some will be there on Christmas Day to help.

"We are catering for 35 guests, they are all picked up as we are arranging transport. We have a team of decorators at ATT giving up their time for nothing. Colleagues I have worked with in London have donated money. We had one anonymous donor who gave £1,000.

"It's just a really great thing and something which is going to happen every year at ATT, helping the people understand they have a company of real value in Ellesmere Port.

"Over the last 18 months we have also been working with the architects that worked on Storyhouse to look at how we can extend Whitby Hall which can extend the work they do with children and young families."

For more information about ATT and the Christmas Dinner project, visit www.actiontransporttheatre.org.