A CARER is continuing to support her clients on Christmas day.

Leanne Shepard, from Kendal, has cooked Christmas dinner for some of her clients over the past 15 years and this year is no different.

For the last two years, Leanne has received a £20 voucher from Booths to put towards the cost of making the dinners, which Leanne describes as a 'lovely gesture'.

Leanne emailed local companies to see if they would like to donate and Booths got back saying they would help her.

Leanne does this free of charge and from her home kitchen. On why she started doing this 15 years ago, she said that she felt 'upset' when one of her clients was going to be on her own. Leanne said: "I have been doing homecare for the past 23 years and one day one of my clients was going to be on their own at Christmas as their family couldn't get here.

"I just said I'll make you a Christmas dinner and it has escalated from there. You sort of realise that there is more people on their own than you would think."

Leanne said her clients 'really appreciate' the meal and always offer her money for the food but she does not accept.

This year, Leanne has cooked for 10 residents. Like many carers across the county Leanne will be working on Christmas Day so she has already delivered the meals which are ready to be reheated on Christmas Day.

Her clients will receive a traditional Christmas dinner with turkey, pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, mashed potato, cauliflower cheese, carrot and swede and a Yorkshire pudding.

And for dessert Leanne's clients have received a cherry trifle.

Leanne said she will never stop cooking for her clients. She said: "I always do it, I have done it every year. I work for a home care organisation so via our communication system I always get the office to ask if any of our clients are alone or their family can't come for Christmas and to let them know that I am cooking."