Children at St James’ C of E Primary School in Cheltenham have begun writing beautiful Christmas letters with festive pictures to Lilian Faithfull Care’s elderly residents.
For the third year running, the school Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) volunteers and local company Officeworx Ltd are kindly organising this wonderful project for the charity. With the aim to bring Christmas cheer and joy to all those who live at their care homes in Gloucestershire.
Proud to make a ‘home for life’ for its residents, charity Lilian Faithfull Care provides exceptional elderly and dementia care at its five homes and two adult day care hubs in Cheltenham and Stroud.
All the school children are invited to write a letter and draw a festive picture – either at school or at home, and it started at the school’s PTA Christmas Fair last Friday – pictured.
The Officeworx family company first inspired the project, as their father, Mr Adkins, lives at St Faith’s nursing home in Cheltenham and their children go to St James’ school.
Three years ago, during Covid, the school PTA kindly thought to organise the school to send Christmas letters to the children’s Grandfather, plus all residents living at St Faith’s home. Lots of children got involved and wrote beautiful heart felt letters with Christmassy pictures. The family and PTA safely delivered them and waved at residents in the windows. The home was overjoyed to receive them and it brought so much cheer to residents and staff to read and keep in their rooms.
In 2021, due to the school children writing an amazing 204 letters, the charity were able to distribute letters to more of their care homes in Cheltenham.
Three years on, and they’re doing it again, with the hope of enough letters this year to send to all five of Lilian Faithfull Care’s homes in Cheltenham and Stroud.
This year too, the Officeworx family now have their mother, Mrs Adkins, living at Lilian Faithfull Care’s residential home called Faithfull House in Suffolk Square.
Mrs Adkin’s daughter Kate Berry, commented, “The help and support we have received from the team at Faithfull House have been superb. Mum has settled amazingly and is extremely fond of her carers. Faithful House doesn’t feel like a typical care home – its energy is beautiful.”
St James’ school have an existing connection to Faithfull House home and they hope to visit soon to sing songs and do activities together.
Officeworx are a family run office supplies company in Cheltenham, with a long-standing connection and supplier to Lilian Faithfull Care charity, and a supporter of many other local charities. Their lovely team do the creative artwork and printing of the Christmas letter templates.
The St James’ PTA group of volunteers organise this brilliant project at the school. The PTA is a registered charity, which raises money for the school through events and activities, to buy things not covered by the school budget. Alongside fundraising the PTA also enrich the educational and social life of the whole school community. And this Christmas project is an fantastic example.
Residents and staff are so thankful to Officeworx, the school, PTA volunteers and all the children for their thoughtfulness, Christmas spirit and continued support.
With a deadline of Thursday 15 December to complete by, the letters will be counted and delivered the following week.
The school PTA volunteers, Officeworx and their children are really looking forward to knocking on the homes’ doors and delivering some Christmas cheer. And the homes can’t wait to greet them!
