Clifton charity Good Companions, are celebrating this year’s festive season with two parties and a raffle for their service users following last year’s social distanced Christmas.
We are a small, Clifton-based charity which supports isolated, vulnerable and lonely older people in the Clifton, Wilford and Silverdale areas through the provision of weekly friendship groups, and a Home Visiting scheme for those less-able to leave their homes.
We adapted our services into an outreach scheme during the 18—month of pandemic-related closure. However, we are happy to report that since June of this year all four of our friendship groups have re-opened and we are getting back into the swing of our activities, although following government guidelines as necessary.
Attendees to our Friendship Groups, our Home Visiting Scheme, and friends from further afield, always look forward to our annual Christmas party – held in early December. For Christmas 2020 we adapted our plans and gave our 150+ service users a Christmas with a slightly different twist: a ‘party in a bag’, distributed by our volunteers. This contained our newsletter, puzzles, games, as well as lots of other special Christmas goodies.
This year we are planning not one, but TWO, Christmas parties. These will be at two venues and on different days; the intention of this is to suitably support social distancing whilst allowing those who wish to attend to choose the day and venue which best suits them. Our Christmas parties will be held on: Monday 6th December at Parkgate Community Centre in Clifton, and Tuesday 7th December at Clifton Methodist Church, Rivergreen in Clifton. Tickets will be £4.00 per person and will include luncheon, live music, treats, and lots of fun. If you know of any residents who would like to attend then please phone Lead Co-ordinator, Sarah Cox, on 07743 561 092 or email [email protected] by 2nd December.
We will also be holding our giant Christmas raffle again, to be drawn on Friday 3rd December. Tickets are £1 and sold in books of five; if you would like to support Good Companions and purchase tickets for this draw then please call Co-ordinator Dee Stirland by 2nd December on 07743 564 716 or email Dee on [email protected]
We would love to hear from you if you would like to attend a friendship group, or feel that you would like to receive Home Visiting (or to make a referral for a relative or neighbour to receive support), then please phone either of the Co-ordinators listed above. Likewise, if you wish to volunteer with us or make a donation we would love to hear from you.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!
– Sarah Cox, Lead Co-ordinator at Good Companions