What an incredible event we had the honor of being a part of this year!
The energy and enthusiasm at the Christmas Party were truly inspiring, with 117 residents from a number of care homes across Essex all coming together to enjoy the festive spirit. For Rise, this was the largest event we’ve ever been a part of, and it was an absolute pleasure to see so many people smiling, competing, and having fun together!
A huge thank you to our amazing staff who delivered our Seated Sports session—you truly brought the festive cheer and got everyone moving! Special shoutout to Owen, who wowed everyone with his incredible Christmas outfit—it definitely added to the fun and spirit of the day!
We’d also like to extend our gratitude to FaNs Network for organizing such a wonderful event and to all the participants for making it a day to remember. A big thank you to the care homes that joined us:
The event kicked off at the Princes Theatre, where Owen and Libby from Rise organised fun activities to warm up the crowd before the main event. The residents, with the help of peer mentors and well-being ambassadors from Clacton Coastal Academy, competed for the much-coveted Christmas Trophy. The atmosphere was full of laughter and friendly competition, and it was a joy to watch everyone getting into the Christmas spirit!
After all the excitement, everyone was treated to a well-deserved cuppa and mince pie, generously provided by Tesco Clacton Community Champion, while enjoying the festive tunes of Mick O’Connell. Of course, no Christmas party would be complete without a visit from the Main Man himself, Santa!
We’d like to thank everyone involved in making this event so special, including Active Essex, Community Voluntary Services Tendring, Tendring District Council, and the NHS SNEE ICB – North East Essex. A special thank you to the team at Princes Theatre for hosting such an unforgettable event.
We can’t wait to see what next year’s Christmas celebration holds.
