CARE home staff have brought the capital’s iconic Christmas market to its residents’ doorstep to spread festive cheer with a guest appearance from some reindeer.
Residents at Cramond Residence kick started the festive celebrations with a mini Christmas market, light switch on and reindeer visit.
The home laid on stalls with a spread of mince pies and hot beverages, extending invitations outward to the local community and to family and friends of residents, with £501.25 raised for Alzheimer’s Scotland.
Dorothy McDermott, resident at Cramond Residence was tasked
with switching on the Christmas lights as part of the event.
Dorothy said: “The market and celebrations have really got everyone into the
festive spirit – we even had a surprise visit from some reindeers.
“It was a really enjoyable afternoon which felt even more
special due to the lack of celebrations last year as a result of the pandemic
restrictions.”
As part of the market, residents and the wider community were treated to a
surprise visit from Santa, who was on hand to hand out candy canes and meet and
greet attendees.
Head of Maintenance, Billy Early was given the job of constructing the stalls
and arranging the logistics of the special event – which attracted more than
150 guests from the surrounding area.
Billy said: “The past few weeks have been a change to my normal day-to-day tasks
but it’s been really nice to work on a project which means a lot to everyone at
the home.
“The atmosphere around the home in the lead up to the event has been really positive and it’s nice to see everyone come together.”
The stalls will remain up for the remainder of December with various other events planned throughout the month, including a residents Christmas party.
Christian Daraio, Client Liaison Manager at Cramond Residence, said: “This year the team at Cramond Residence has been really keen to put on a host of celebrations involving the community as everyone missed out last year.
“It’s a delight to be back hosting events like the Christmas market and light switch where we can have members of the public back interacting with our residents in accordance with current Covid-19 guidelines. We love being part of the community so it is always nice to give something back.
“As Christmas is focused on kindness and giving, we also made the decision to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Scotland as it is a charity close to many at the home”.
Cramond Residence offers high quality care for up to 74 residents offering a small-group living concept in nine houses, with all residents enjoying an exceptional range of amenities and activities, delicious food and bespoke care from a highly-trained team.