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Christmas in Adult Services 2023
31 January 2024
As always Christmas has been amazing!
We really are truly blessed. Somerset WI delivered over 180 shoe boxes filled with love which were given to every resident in Adult Services as well as our 16+ housing projects. The boxes have lots of goodies in them and were a joy to open. YMCA Brunel Group have a great relationship with the WI which has been established for many years. We are always incredibly grateful for the thoughtfulness and hard work that goes into these shoeboxes each year. It truly brings a bit of magic to our housing projects, ensuring that our residents can have something special for Christmas.
We were also blessed with lots of donations of presents from the 6th Form Blue School in Wells and local Churches. even people passing by would drop bits and pieces off and one lady made a shoe box as she was admiring the ones we had. Donations are always shared out to other projects.
Above – Christmas present bags by the tree at The Old Glasshouse.
Above – Some of the lovely Christmas shoe boxes
Thanks to the kind donations from our community, our two houses in Adult Services, Spencer House and Grace Harris House, were able to celebrate Christmas with great food, games and gifts:
Spencer House – Wells
A lovely Christmas meal was had at Spencer House. One of the residents cooked a delicious lunch for everyone to enjoy together. Most of the residents came along as well as the staff. Those who couldn’t make it had a plated-up meal for later, so that everyone was sure to be included. Each resident received a lovely bag of presents, they were all so genuinely pleased and excited by their gifts. Feedback was excellent!
“I did not expect any presents and was really surprised at the amount and what I had”
“Very thoughtful and thanks so much. It really humbles you”
“Over the moon, really cheered me up and I loved what I had – thank you”
Above – some of the residents enjoying Christmas lunch
Above – the tree at Spencer House with lovely Christmas bags around it
Grace Harris House – Shepton Mallet
On Friday 22nd December we had our Christmas dinner with five residents and staff members Ann and Tracey. Together, we tucked into a turkey dinner with all the trimmings.
After dinner we gave out presents from the YMCA and the shoe boxes from the WI. Most opened their gifts straight away but one resident wanted the joy of waiting until the actual day so he would have something to open on Christmas morning. Everyone was so grateful for the gifts they received. Feedback was “just what I needed” and “I wasn’t expecting anything like this, can’t remember when I had so many to open”.
After lunch and present opening, we played board games. Everyone was very engaged and enthusiastic, the games carried on late into the evening.
On Christmas Day, two of the residents were cooking Christmas dinner and invited anyone that was in the house to join them, followed by card games.
Cooking a meal and playing cards has now become almost a weekly occurrence with at least three of the residents joining in each time. It’s a fantastic and fun way to come together and share time and thoughts.