The morning, led by our Your Space service, included various festivities and activities including engaging in a community talk over tea and homemade cakes. As the Christmas period can be a challenging time for many, residents and community members were invited to share their feelings about this time of year.

Some shared that it caused them financial strains, others were not looking forward to spending Christmas alone, and some spoke about their hopes for the New Year. The group supported one another, and fostered a real sense of community spirit.

In keeping with the festive theme, the group listened to Christmas music and enjoyed decorating Christmas tree baubles and gingerbread biscuits together, which many chose to share with loved ones as Christmas gifts. Attendees were also able to have decorative designs created on their hands using henna.

We were delighted to welcome visitors from BonBons Beauty, a local salon in Newham, who kindly donated their time and services by providing free manicures. This was a lovely treat, as many of the day’s attendees don’t always focus on their own self-care or aren’t able to treat themselves to a beauty treatment. We are extremely grateful to have the support of BonBons Beauty, who also arranged a collection of dry and long-life food which was donated to Caritas Anchor House.

We were pleased to run the event which got people together at a time when people can feel lonely. The range of activities on offer made for a fun-filled morning, with the variety catering for all, and brought together a diverse group of people.

This was a great example of how our Your Space service responds to identified high levels of isolation, low income and reluctance to engage support. We work with residents of Caritas Anchor House and members of the community to empower them to engage and navigate services with confidence, and to improve social health and coping methods through informal support networks.

Find out more about Your Space here.