Charities find creative ways to use free turkey meat from Cracker Appeal

Charities receiving help from the Advertiser’s Christmas Cracker Appeal came to collect their turkeys from the ’Tiser offices last week.

Every charity has had to find creative ways to use the meat this year, with restriction upon restriction making things steadily more difficult.

Every year, Copas Traditional Turkeys donates turkeys to the appeal, which usually helps fund Christmas parties, day trips and events for a host of charities and organisations.

Following the tier 4 announcement, the Cookham-based business also had to scale back its usual Christmas pick-up event for its customers, having already tried its best to adapt to COVID-safe requirements.

Originally it had planned socially distanced festivities with mince pies and mulled wine for visitors – but after tier 4 restrictions were introduced, it was unable to do this.

Eventually the event had to be whittled down to a ‘drive-through’ for people coming to pick up their turkeys.

Charities picked up their Copas turkey legs at the Advertiser offices as planned – but this year, the arrangements took place in the car park to stay COVID-safe.

Five charities opted for some turkey, including Thames Hospice, which put in a last minute request having had to change its Christmas plans suddenly in the wake of tier 4.

Residents at Alfred Court retirement home were unable to have a meal together in the communal lounge and instead will have a turkey buffet together when tier 4 restrictions are lifted.

Cox Green Lunch Club normally meets at Cox Green Community Centre. This year it has decided to freeze the turkey meat and make a pie for Easter, when it is hoped they can meet again.

To give everyone some festive cheer, each charity arranged to send out gifts to its members. Luckily most of these arrangements were made before tier 4 restrictions hit.

“A whole crowd of volunteers took the gifts down in the first couple of weeks in December,” said Ruby Doughty, secretary of Cox Green Lunch Club.

“Our members were surprised and pleased. They’re all missing each other and they’re longing for the time we can get back to meeting with others for lunch.

“Everyone’s very upbeat about a vaccine, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, now.”

Jeremy Spooner, CEO of Baylis Media, the Advertiser’s publisher, said: “I would like to once again thank Copas Turkeys for supporting the Advertiser’s Cracker Appeal.

“Their generosity is much appreciated and we have already had a number of those who benefitted from being provided with turkeys from Copas saying how grateful they were and how tasty the turkey was.”