Christmas Party 2011
We had the most wonderful Playskill Christmas party earlier this week. It was our biggest party yet with nearly 100 guests (over 70 children with special physical needs and their families) for an action-packed party with a great deal of fun! Sainsbury’s Apsley helped to feed everyone with a wonderful donation of puddings, drinks and chocolate! The children loved the opportunity to pat Teddy, a Pets as Therapy dog, who has attended the recent parties, and parents were overwhelming grateful for such a wonderful time all together, which was contrasted by national headlines about the CAF (Contact a Family) charity http://www.cafamily.org.uk/index.php?module=newsmodule&action=view&id=742&src=@random4864ff40710ee reporting the terrible stress and isolation experienced by families of children with special needs. Playskill is part of the local answer to addressing this need, by providing help for the children alongside support and training for their parents all under one roof, as well as social and fun outings.
We had the excitement of £540 donated by the recent Snail race organised by Phil from the Watford and Clarendon Rotary Club, and we also received a donation of £200 from the Watford and District Classic Car Club! Watford Councillor Andrew Mortimer delivered a great toast thanking all the support from John Lewis, Greenlane and The Lanes Children Centres for this year, and of course huge thanks were given to The Fence Club which donated fantastic toys for the fabulous grotto where Father Christmas gave out toys all through the party much to the children’s wonder and delight! We had additional toys left over and after hearing an urgent appeal for toys for Watford General’s Starfish Ward’s Christmas party (their supplier had let them down at the last minute), we were able to support some more local children in hospital too by sending in three big boxes of toys.
