It's been a lonely year for many, but Tamworth's Salvation Army is throwing a Christmas party to celebrate the end of 2020.
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The Salvos will this month hold a barbeque for 250 people at the grassed area at the back of the Tamworth Salvation Army building on Goonoo Goonoo Road.
It will be a Christmas picnic like no other, organised by several of Tamworth's Rotary clubs, the Lions and other charities.
Captain Harriet Farquhar said the annual event has been on a knife-edge for weeks, before being signed-off in early December.
But at the end of a lonely year for some of Tamworth's most vulnerable people, the Salvation Army decided it was an event too important not to hold.
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"We said to ourselves - why do we do it?" she said.
They decided that the real reason is that "people are lonely at Christmas and this gives them an event that they can look forward to and enjoy and talk about.
"Once we said it's not about the food - it's not about the turkey and the stuffing - it's about the socialisation, then we knew we had to plan an event."
All are welcome on December 19 and tickets are available and free, but the event will be canned if the weather is too hot, Tamworth has a reported COVID-19 case, or if it's scheduled to rain.
But Captain Farquhar hopes it will be an opportunity to reconnect with community - including the local community of charities.
"What's really exciting about this is usually the Salvos do it alone. We put on the Christmas meal; lots of people help. But this year we're partnering with lots of the Rotaries, and the Lions and the Fire Brigade and the Westpac Helicopter Service.
"They're all coming on board and we're doing it as a team. That's going to be wonderful."
The picnic will be a barbeque-style meal, plus every guest will be provided a picnic basket.
Guests will have to follow coronavirus safety rules, including staying to a set area and providing their information.
The event starts at midday and runs until 2.30pm.