Christmas comes to Basildon
On Saturday 7 December, Kids Inspire hosted a Christmas party in Basildon for interested families in Vange, with the highlight being a visit from Father Christmas, who gifted all children that had come along.
Ames, a local mother, with three children said: “It was such a wonderful event, the children were so excited decorating biscuits, making reindeer food and getting their faces painted. It was lovely to see the children all playing together and having fun.”
Around 50 children, 10 adults (parents, grandparents, friends) joined in the festivities.
The event was child-focused, with the free stalls involving the children in biscuit decorating; Christmas decoration making; and making a wish to put on the Christmas tree. There was even one stall offering teddies and books that was run by some children themselves!
Elizabeth Bayliss, Community Engagement Officer for Kids Inspire, said: “The biscuit decorating stall was busy solidly from beginning to end. The brightly coloured icing and glitter-bits were a great success. Several kids made biscuits to take home for their mum.”
“The highlight of the event was a guest appearance from Father Christmas. When he arrived, everyone sat on mats in the middle and he read them a story – The Night before Christmas – the room was completely quiet for this.”
After the story, Father Christmas busied himself with picking raffle numbers (with lots of gifted raffle prizes to be enjoyed, so MANY guests left with a prize!) and then the kids lined up to meet him and to receive a present and bag of sweets.
Elizabeth went on to say: “Many of the kids were enraptured by Father Christmas and could not believe it when he gave them a present. One little boy asked me if the present was really for him and could he open it?
The children all left happy with painted and glittered faces, clutching presents, biscuits and apples.”
Leading up to and throughout, the party had a lot of local volunteers all who helped out all day moving tables and bags and even hoovered up at the end! One of the volunteers commented that:
“He and his wife both had a smile on their faces all the way home from the party. “
It’s so lovely to hear that Christmas is most definitely not just for the children!
The Christmas party was a great event, with a real sense of achievement and contentment all round.