As part of Kingsley’s Sixth Form enrichment programme, a group of students opted for community service at Helen Ley Care Centre, a specialist respite care centre for people with multiple sclerosis. The girls recently held a Christmas party for the guests at the centre, which they describe below:
It took us a month to plan and organise the party. After research and discussion, each of us chose a role, from sorting out finance to publicity to choosing songs to buying presents. This meant we all had to pull together and work as a team. We decided to make it a cheerful event based on a mini concert, as there are a lot of talented musicians in our group.
On the day of the party we arrived feeling a little apprehensive, even though we were as well-prepared as possible. We came dressed up as Santas, reindeers and snowflakes and handed out hats to put everyone in the Christmas mood. We sang Christmas songs together and handed out the lyrics so our audience could join in. Jess Fowler and Rowena Murrell sang a breathtaking duet of ‘In The Bleak Midwinter’. Lucy French played a range of songs including ‘Silent Night’ and Bach on the piano; Jess Fowler also played Rudolf and Winter Wonderland on the saxophone. We distributed gifts and mince pies and chatted to everyone. After our final group song we followed Miss Windsor’s motto of “leave them wanting more!”
It was an amazing experience and we were pleased to find out how much we can achieve when we work together. We would like to thank Miss Windsor for helping us on the day and Mrs Bailey for giving us the opportunity.