The relationship between Freespirit Pubs and the Shipston community has grown organically over several years, built on trust, shared values and a genuine commitment to helping local people.
One of the most visible examples of this partnership is the community defibrillator located on the front of The George at Brailes, maintained as part of the local Community Responder network supporting Shipston and surrounding villages.
Shipston Community Christmas began in 2017, when local resident Tessa hosted a Christmas gathering for anyone spending the day alone. While the original event paused during the Covid period, the initiative evolved into a food delivery model, ensuring vulnerable residents could still enjoy a proper Christmas meal at home.
Following Tessa’s wedding reception at The Castle, a relationship was formed with the Freespirit team, leading to Freespirit Pubs becoming the catering partner for the project.
In 2025, the initiative reached its largest scale to date. Working alongside Freespirit Pubs and local partners, meals were delivered to 195 people, including Freespirit-prepared meals and vegetable boxes supplied in partnership with The Cotswold Veg Box Company for food bank clients, providing everything needed to cook a full Christmas dinner.
In addition, a Christmas Day gathering at Shipston Scout Hut welcomed guests for a light lunch, where 80 people were served Christmas rolls supplied by Freespirit Pubs.
All meals were produced and distributed from The George at Brailes, with Freespirit Pubs designing the menu and supplying a main course and dessert for every recipient. Particular care was taken to ensure all meals were safely prepared, clearly labelled with allergen information, and delivered in line with food safety standards.
Freespirit Pubs also adapted production schedules to extend use-by dates, allowing recipients to enjoy meals on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, or freeze them for later use.
Shipston Community Christmas organisers have highlighted Freespirit Pubs as a valued partner due to the team’s reliability, professionalism and ability to deliver at scale while maintaining care and quality.
Looking ahead, Shipston Community Christmas has set out a 10-year vision to become a registered charity supporting anyone who finds Christmas challenging. As part of this, fundraising will now begin earlier in the year, with opportunities for businesses to become multi-year sponsors through both financial contributions and product support. The long-term aim is to build a strong network of local business partners who can be relied upon year after year to make the event sustainable and impactful.
The vision is a community-led celebration for Shipston and surrounding villages, supported by local businesses working together to make Christmas accessible, dignified and joyful for all.
Freespirit Pubs is proud to be part of this journey and looks forward to continuing its partnership with Shipston Community Christmas as the initiative grows.
For more information or to support the project:
1. Contributed
Shipston Committing Christmas Lunch Photo: Submitted
2. Contributed
Shipston Committing Christmas Lunch Photo: Submitted
3. Contributed
Shipston Committing Christmas Lunch Photo: Submitted
4. Contributed
Shipston Committing Christmas Lunch Photo: Submitted