The CARIS Christmas Party!
A big thank you to everyone who responded to the Toy Drive and donated toys for the Caris Haringey Christmas party. Caris is one of the charities the Church supports. They do amazing work supporting the most vulnerable families in Tottenham, many of whom are refugees or asylum seekers, often living in bed and breakfast accommodation. Some only have the right to remain in the country, but have no right to claim benefits!
Peter and I were invited along to the under 5’s party. Guess who was Father Christmas! We were assured there would be a Father Christmas outfit, but this Christmas Party since lockdown and no one could find it. A replacement was ordered from Argos but it didn’t arrive. Jane Young the finance director (in the silver top in one of the photos) found one in a local toy shop the night before but there was no chance to open it till Father Christmas arrived. It was one size and nothing for holding up the trousers or doing up the jacket! Then Jane remembered the First Aid box had some safety pins, so the outfit was kept together with pins!
Some of the children were pleased to get a gift from Father Christmas, others weren’t so sure and one little girl burst into tears! But afterwards all the helpers wanted their photo with Father Christmas including the Morrison Elves who had come along to help. (Morrisons support the Caris Foodbank).
Tonya, their amazing Family Liaison Officer who runs the foodbank and organised the party was very busy taking photos with multiple cameras – despite a broken foot!
It was great fun and Father Christmas said he would be happy to come to their party next year!