Christmas day dinner

Our staff opened up The Arc in Westcliff on Christmas day, to welcome people in from the estate, who would otherwise spend it alone or with no plans.

More than 20 people of all ages came together to celebrate, enjoy dinner, entertainment, gifts and spend the day meeting new people and chatting to neighbours. 

Victoria Bradshaw, Activities Coordinator at The Arc, came up with the idea after speaking to a number of people in the area revealed they had no loved ones to spend the day with.

When asked about the event, she said: “Bringing people together and creating a supportive community is exactly what The Arc is about. It’s been so lovely and heart-warming and I’ve loved being a part of it.

“We must say a huge thank you to everyone that made it possible, including the 10 members of staff from Ongo who have volunteered their time, Tesco for donating food and Taylor’s Family Butchers in Scunthorpe for the turkey.”

Sharron Poulson, who attended on the day commented: “It gets boring by yourself, so it’s lovely to spend the day with other people. 

“If I wasn’t here I’d have been at home with just me and the dog, so thanks to everyone for organising, you’ve made my day special.” 

Thanks to Fran Rhodes, John Cavil, Victoria Bradshaw, James Bradshaw, Kim Slator, Rodney Slator, Alisha Slator, Sophie Windle, Libor Boras, Leah Gillott, Danielle Ratcliffe and Scott Taylor for volunteering their time. 

To find out more about upcoming events at The Arc, click here.