Man who turned life around to host free Christmas dinner in Glasgow

East End Recovery Sunday - or EERS as it is otherwise known – strives to be a safe place for people to get support for addiction and isolation. 

Offering 12-step fellowship meetings, a recovery café, hot food at low prices and family-orientated activities, the charity is a hub of friendship and support for the whole community. 

This Christmas, volunteers at the recovery café will be hosting a free Christmas dinner to give anyone who may be isolated or alone a place to spend the holidays, a warm meal and some company. 

(Image: Davie Boor, pictured by Gordon Terris, Newsquest) Volunteer Davie Boor is one of the driving forces behind the meal – which will also ensure attendees leave with a present in their hands and not just a full belly. 

Speaking to the Glasgow Times, the 49-year-old said: “We are so excited to be hosting the dinner and those who plan to attend say they are really looking forward to it. 

“A lot of people in recovery might not be in touch with their family or have anywhere to go and this means we can give them somewhere to go for Christmas. 

“For some of these people too, we might be their only chance of having a Christmas dinner. 

“We don’t want anyone isolated on Christmas.” 

Davie added: “We have room for about 120 people and space for a few more tables if need be.  We have also said to our other charity partners to send some people along to us too if they like as we want to help as many people as we can.”

(Image: Davie Boor, pictured by Gordon Terris, Newsquest) The café will be open from 11am until 3pm on December 22 for the special lunch. 

Attendees will be able to listen to some great music, play sports and games, and kids will even get a visit from Santa.  

For Davie, who is in recovery from alcohol, drug and gambling addiction, the meal is all about giving back to the community. 

Having attended the recovery café himself, David eventually became a volunteer to help others – which he has now been doing for three years. 

He said: “It is me and a few friends who run the recovery café. There are 14 of us and aside from two who are there for their mental health, we are all in recovery.

“It makes helping out here feel so rewarding.”

Davie has went almost seven years gambling free and has been sober and clean for the last five years. 

(Image: Davie Boor, pictured by Gordon Terris, Newsquest) EERS applied for two lots of funding, both for £1,000, to help cover the costs of the food presented to attendees. 

Sadly, the charity – which received charitable status three months ago - did not receive either funding grant. 

Davie said: “It’s hard because so many charities are fighting for such little money, but it is disappointing. 

“I ran the Santa Dash to raise some money for the dinner and we received some money from partners as well which is amazing.”

The charity has also set up a GoFundMe to raise as much money as possible for the day. 

Davie said the funding pot is going well and has so far raised x. 

If you would like to donate, you can do so HERE 

(Image: Davie Boor, pictured by Gordon Terris, Newsquest) But if the funding pot doesn’t make enough, that isn’t stopping David from throwing a spectacular day for those in need. 

He said he would use his own money and wages to make sure everyone had a great Christmas. 

He explained: “If I need to spend my wages then that is what I will do. It is all about giving back to the community. 

“I’ve already been using stuff with my own money anyway, just to get the kids a few bits.”