We have had a busy and creative December here at YMCA Basingstoke!
We have continued rolling our usual programmes to residents throughout the month as well as lots of other fun festive activities to get us in the Christmas spirit. The residents have helped us decorate the building and have decorated the Christmas tree beautifully!
This year has been a difficult year for many and so we wanted to help our young people give something extra special to their families and friends for Christmas. They have been hard at work making beautiful salt crystal wine bottles, getting intricate with painting wine glasses and creating fun designs on mugs and other china pieces. They have created lovely hot chocolate sets using the mugs and saucers they decorated as well creating designs in wood and leather burning. They have also made lovely soaps to gift and to use.
“I liked it all. I made a mug and plate for my son with Lightning Mcqueen on. The wood burning was good and the painting was also good and looks pretty cool”-Resident
“I did the crystal wine bottles and the wine glass painting as well as other crafty things. I have really enjoyed it, it is very therapeutic”- Lauren
Residents have worked hard wrapping their presents to give as gifts to their loved ones.
They have also helped make decorations for the building including paper snowflakes, salt dough tree decorations and even home-made wreaths where residents went on foraging walks to collect woodland goods.
As well as present making the residents helped us hand make 75+ Christmas cards for other YMCA groups and staff members within YMCA Fairthorne Group.
Every year the residents have a Christmas party. This year the Christmas party was slightly different due to covid-19 restrictions. Despite this staff did their utmost to pull of a festive and fun party for all the residents to enjoy. A more relaxed party where residents choose their tables and had table service provided through 3 different sittings throughout the day.
A 3-course meal was provided which went down very will with all the staff and residents. A big thank you to our chefs Gina and Toni-Lea who worked their socks off in the kitchen! Big compliments to the chefs as one resident even said it was better than Toby Carvery…. and he used to be a chef for Toby Carvery!
“It was great!”- Lee
The staff worked hard to transform the room into a magical winter wonderland. See the pictures below to see how the usual tenants lounge was transformed into Santa’s Grotto! A big well done to the staffs efforts.
“The Christmas Party was nice. There was a lot of effort put into it. Thank you to the staff as they have done so much throughout lockdown”- Maisie
Throughout the day residents were kept entertained with a variety of games. After a Bucks Fizz on arrival residents played a game of heads and tails. There was a Christmas bingo where residents got the chance to win a dip in the lucky dip, followed by a Christmas quiz. At the end of each sitting residents were given a certificate and their Christmas boxes. At the end of all 3 sittings a big scavenger hunt was held where lots of prizes such as electric cards, dry and wash tokens, sweets etc were up for winning.
“I loved with Christmas party, I thought it was really fun”- Charlotte
The residents enjoyed how chilled the day was.
“It was good. It was actually really nice this year, it was relaxed and it’s been nice to sit and do Christmas bits and social things” -Annelouise
“It was very interesting, different but good different. It was nice to be in a small group rather than a big group and it was nice to be able to talk to people”. -Mandy
All the staff and residents would like to say a massive thank you to Basingstoke Foodbank and St Mary’s Church who have provided Christmas boxes full of goodies to all our residents, which were given out during the Christmas party.
We would also like to say a big thank you to Rapid Relief Team for the food boxes they donated.
Also a massive thank you to The Hygiene Bank for providing packages full of Hygiene products for every resident!
We wish all of our residents, partners, other YMCA Fairthorne groups and staff a very merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year. Thank you so much for all the support we have received during a difficult year. Here is to a better 2021. We look forward to seeing you all and working with you more in the New Year. Stay safe.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
What a wonderful account of a carefully planned Christmas- where all the residents could be part of it – a proper family atmosphere at a very tough time.
Well done to every one of you! You are stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️