St James’ School to spread Christmas cheer

St James’ C of E Primary School to spread Christmas cheer

Children at St James’ C of E Primary School in Cheltenham begin their beautiful Christmas letters for our care home residents.

For the third year running, the school Parent and Teacher Association (PTA) volunteers and local company Officeworx are kindly organising this wonderful letter project again. With the aim to bring Christmas cheer and joy to those who live with us. All the school children are invited to write a letter and draw a festive picture, and it was started at the school’s PTA Christmas Fair last Friday – pictured. Read on to find out more.

The Officeworx family company first inspired the project, as their father, Mr Adkins, lives at our St Faith’s nursing home and their children go to St James’ school.

Three years ago, during Covid, the school PTA kindly thought to organise and send Christmas letters to the children’s Grandfather and all other residents living at St Faith’s home.

Lots of children got involved and wrote beautiful heartfelt 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 Gloucestershire.

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’ Primary 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 our 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 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 by a few children and parents.

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!

🎄☃️🎁🔔