Business leaders clubbed together to fund a Christmas lunch for 118 older people.

The traders assembled at Sussex County Cricket Club to put on the feast and combat loneliness.

The meal, held in the Long Room at the County Ground in Hove, included Christmas lunch with all the trimmings and a surprise singing performance by 50 pupils from Somerhill Junior School.

In 2010 Matt Warren, managing director of sports travel company Travel Places, contacted the national charity Friends Of The Elderly (FOTE) to ask if it would support a Christmas lunch he planned to fund and host in Brighton and Hove.

Three years on and still working with the charity, Mr Warren now has nine local businesses contributing £100 each to cover the costs and ensure everyone has a memorable and fun time.

Mr Warren made a pledge at the function to help an older person, along with Karin Yardy of IEP Financial.

Noel Preston, managing partner of Preston Insurance Brokers, said: “Age is inevitable but it is at the most fragile time when people often need the most help and support.

"Events such as this lunch provide some hope to those who find themselves less fortunate and perhaps some encouragement that people are out there thinking and caring about them, in particular at this time of year.”

Tom Hall, a partner at Future Proof CIC, said: “We love the idea of nine local businesses coming together to host a Christmas lunch for more than 100 older people and involving schoolchildren too.”

The nine businesses involved were Beavis Morgan, EMC, Future Proof CIC, IEP, Leumi, Lovelocaljobs.com, Preston Insurance Brokers, See That, and Travel Places.

The day before the lunch, Sussex Cricket In The Community, the official partners of FOTE, held an afternoon of table cricket for older people at the St John’s Centre in Hove.

FOTE is running a Sussex-wide pilot project to engage residents, businesses and support groups to help older people.

It launched its Be A Friend campaign earlier in the year and is on course for having 1,000 supporters before Christmas.

Find out more by visiting www.beafriendtoday.org.uk