Free Christmas Day dinner for the homeless

A restaurant is opening its doors on Christmas Day to provide free meals to homeless people.

It has been organised by the Oxford Homeless Project - a Muslim community group, and will take place at a restaurant on Cowley Road in the city.

Shabnam Sabir, from the group, said any donations would go towards the cost of the meal as well as provide Christmas presents for its attendees.

About 350,000 people across the UK are likely to be homeless over the Christmas period, according to housing charity Shelter.

In a Facebook post, Ms Sabir said she decided to organise the dinner after speaking to a man who usually attends community meals that her group hosts on Wednesdays.

"He said he won't go where he doesn't know the people," she said.

"With all the options on Christmas Day I thought it was silly to organise a meal but clearly I was wrong."

Ms Sabir said 12 people were now going to the restaurant for dinner.

Several commenters on the post have asked where they can donate, or how they can help.

Oxfordshire Homeless Movement, a partnership of organisations focused on tackling homelessness, has a list of open Christmas day meals around the county on its website.

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