Bendigo community lunch won't be held on Christmas Day

The day is about ensuring all members of the community can be connected at this special, but sometimes isolating time of year and is traditionally held on December 25 at the Bendigo Town Hall.

But the City of Greater Bendigo has announced this year's event will be at the Bendigo Stadium on December 23.

Reverend Tracey Wolsley said the date change could be tough on people who relied on the Christmas Day event.

"Part of the reason that it was held on Christmas Day was because that was the day that people struggle," she said.

"Everyone's with family, usually, so the intent was that it was something for people who didn't have elsewhere to go.

"And that's when it's felt most - Christmas Day, December 25.

"I can understand maybe the convenience of getting people to help run it on a different day might be easier but we've always been inundated with helpers.

"So it's a bit of shame in a way."

Reverend Wolsley said she was concerned about how some people would now spend Christmas Day.

"It was actually for people who wouldn't have family to go to on Christmas Day," she said.

"That was the idea of it as far as I understand and know.

"I have spoken to different people in the community and said, 'Have you heard what's happening?' and they said, 'No, we haven't heard anything about whether it's going to be on or not'.

"So, yes, I'd be concerned about the people who normally go there on Christmas Day because they've got nowhere else."

Brien Baxter from Foodbank Victoria Rural Support is a member of the original community lunch committee.

He found out about the date change on Friday afternoon.

"I'm wondering what people are now going to do on Christmas Day," he said.

"There wasn't a shortage of volunteers.

"The last few years it's been running there's been upwards of 100 volunteers, people who are prepared to come out on Christmas Day.

"As far as I know we've always fed about 275 people in the community and another 100 volunteers on the day.

"I'm going to a meeting on Monday because through Foodbank we were originally supplying all of the food and then some of the food so I've just got to find out whether we're actually still going to be involved in that or whether it's fully-funded."

Bendigo Baptist Church Pastor Dave Lovell said the event was originally designed to be a blessing to those who had nowhere to go or no family to be with on Christmas Day.

"It was birthed out of the vision of Steve Emonson who was the head Pastor here at Bendigo Baptist Church," he said.

"The intent of it from the very beginning was to be a very touching Christmas Day spread for those who had no other place to go."

City of Greater Bendigo community wellbeing director Pauline Gordon said the date and venue change was about making the event sustainable into the future.

Ms Gordon said it also enabled businesses to get more involved.

"Council stepped in last year as a result of people saying they couldn't run it anymore," she said.

"So we've been looking at how we make it sustainable in the future?

"The Bendigo Stadium came up with the idea that they would like to host it out there but not only are they hosting it, they've generously donated $10,000 to fund the food.

"This is one way of responding to people who might be alone over the festive season and if local neighbourhoods and churches wanted to look at their own areas as well on the actual Christmas Day it means there's two opportunities for people."