There were more than 50 volunteers from across the club and our catering partner – including Chelsea ambassadors and former players Carlo Cudicini and Paulo Ferreira – helping to set up the Great Hall at the stadium to welcome the guests and keep the venue clean and safe from Covid-19, as well as serving the three-course meal itself, which was prepared by Levy’s professional chefs.

Piglets and some of our other catering suppliers donated the ingredients for the restaurant-quality meal, while club partners Nike, Singha and Millennium and Copthorne Hotels provided presents for the gift bags which the guests took home. They included scarves, football shirts, food, and a range of sanitary products. ISS and Peachy also assisted with the security, decoration and production in the West Stand venue.

‘Our volunteers came from across all departments and levels at Stamford Bridge, Kingsmeadow and Cobham,’ explained Levy regional manager Nav Daine, who has been involved in the annual event for several years.

‘Due to safety concerns, we had not been able to deliver the Christmas meal for the last two years and I had almost given up on this year too. However, the response from everyone at the club to find a way to make it happen was overwhelming.

‘The event could only proceed through the generosity and determination of the club and partners. I can only admire the effort of everyone involved to deliver an event for the community that we can all be proud of.’

One of the changes needed to hold the Christmas lunch safely due to the danger of Covid-19, especially given the vulnerable nature of some of the guests, was hosting the event at Stamford Bridge for the first time.

That allowed us to welcome 200 people from the London Borough of Chelsea and Kensington to the meal in the Great Hall, through the Glass Door Homeless Charity and the Chelsea and Fulham Methodist Church, in addition to a further 200 meals to take away for those who were unable to attend.

Louise Scott from the Chelsea and Fulham Methodist Church added: ‘The fact it’s here at Stamford Bridge this year means it’s a bit more of a treat for people because they never get to come to anything like this. Not only that, but it’s got the capacity for 200 people while keeping social distancing, which is way more than the 30 in our hall.

‘That means not only have we been able to invite our usual guests, who are homeless and vulnerable adults, we’ve also been able to invite people from other groups we do community outreach with, including people on low incomes in the World’s End estate and military veterans from Stoll next door to the stadium who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.’