WITHOUT Bradford's Curry Circle, some of the city's most deprived residents may well have missed out on a party over the festive season.

The Curry Circle, which is run by Bradford MuslimWomen's Council, held a party to celebrate the success of their first year operating in the city.

It was also a chance for the regulars who attend to enjoy a festive meal and an evening of companionship which would otherwise have been absent from their lives.

The weekly Curry Circle event was born out of a realisation within the Muslim Women's Council that a new service was needed to help those who, for various reasons, found themselves unable to feed themselves through conventional methods.

As a result, the council launched the Curry Circle last December with the help of sponsors and businesses and their decision has been justified by the success of the service, with the sessions averaging 100 people turning up each week.

The circle has so much support from volunteers that there are now 250 people registered to offer their services, so many that they have to be put on a rota because that number are not needed each week.

But the circle is looking to recruit more businesses to sponsor its work in the year ahead.

Food is supplied by Bradford business Cafe Lahore and that firm sponsors one of the sessions each month.

That arrangement has been in place for the last seven months, said council spokesman Bana Gora, and has worked well.

However, demand is expected to increase and the group is hoping to recruit new businesses and sponsors who can help with the weekly bill of £160.

She said: "We started this in December last year, after we saw people outside our office rummaging in the dustbins, looking for food.

"They were from different nationalities and we said something needed to be done.

"It was supposed to be a multi-faith initiative but we soon realised that wasn't going to happen, the logistics involved of trying to get food arranged by different organisations was too difficult.

"So we went around local restaurants and Cafe Lahore agreed to sponsor the Curry Circle and they have been working in partnership with us for the last seven months.

"We have seen numbers increase weekly and we have people coming from different backgrounds. We are also seeing quite a lot of children.

"We offer more than just a meal, this is a befriending service. We also have an army of volunteers, we have more than 250 people on the books.

"We need more support and are strongly encouraging businesses out there to help. We need more help to support the circle in order to sustain it," she said.

The festive event was sponsored by Sovereign health care, which is based in Bradford.

Among those who attended the party were Christine Harrison, 64, who lives in Manningham and said: "It is beautiful here, a very nice place.

"When you come here the people make you welcome. They are good people to talk to, friendly, and that 's just what you need at this sort of place.

"The food is lovely. They serve curry and rice and there are different options and drinks. Sometimes we struggle to buy food, it is hard sometimes and this can be a lifeline.

Another regular is John Great, 51, who said: "I have been coming here since it opened because I struggle for food. If it wasn't for this, I'd be going hungry."

One recent change is that the circle is seeing more Eastern European families arriving at the weekly sessions.

In Bana's opinion that's a good thing because it suggests that community is becoming better integrated into Bradford.