A belated “thank you” for a very special Christmas

Although Christmas now feels like a distant memory, we didn’t want to let too much time pass without saying a huge thank you to our residents for helping make the festive season so special.

Items donated to Blue Smile, stored in festive sacks created by Lorna

In the run-up to Christmas, we held an appeal to support Blue Smile, a local charity based on East Road in Cambridge. Blue Smile does vital work supporting children in our local schools through therapy, and they shared with us a list of essential items they regularly need – including books, toys, and art and craft materials. The response from residents was nothing short of incredible. We were completely overwhelmed by the generosity shown, with so many people taking the time to buy thoughtful, much-needed items. Thanks to you all, we were able to donate four large containers full of resources that will make a real difference to their work with children locally.

Hilary and Joan hand over the items to Blue Smile

A representative from Blue Smile joined us at the start of our carol singing event on the Tuesday before Christmas, bringing her daughters along to help collect the donations. It was a lovely moment and a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when a community comes together.

Afterwards, Blue Smile shared this message with us:“A huge thank you to you and all the Riverside residents for the lovely donations of items to use in therapy!” They also shared their thanks on Instagram, publicly recognising the kindness of our residents.

Once the donations were safely handed over, it was time for the festivities to continue with

our carol singing, led by Mark’s Jolly Carollers, who turned up in force and filled the space with festive cheer. With plenty of well-loved favourites to sing along to, it wasn’t long before everyone was feeling thoroughly Christmassy.

The Jolly Carollers lead the singing from under Darwin overhang

The singing was followed by mulled wine and festive treats, including mince pies, sausage rolls and stollen — the perfect way to warm up and catch up with neighbours.

But the celebrations didn’t stop there. For part two of the evening, residents (and members of the wider community) headed over to The Burleigh Arms for a special carol concert by the Jolly Carollers. Donations from the event went to Maggie’s, the cancer support charity with a base at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, raising a fantastic £150.

A representative from Maggie’s shared their thanks and the following message with us:

“The impact of donations from our local community cannot be underestimated. Your kindness will help our visitors benefit from our unique cancer support programme: whether they’re receiving one-to-one support, participating in one of our group sessions, receiving benefits advice, or just having a cup of tea and a chat. In fact, the money you raised could offer immediate support to eight people from one of our cancer support specialists, helping people find strength and comfort at one of the most difficult times of their lives.” 

It was a wonderful evening that left us all feeling festive, connected and proud of what we had achieved together.

A massive thank you to everyone who helped organise the events, to Mark’s Jolly Carollers for bringing the music and to everyone who came along, donated or contributed in any way. We are truly fortunate to be part of such a special and generous community.