Christmas arrived early for 80 members, volunteers and trustees of Active and in Touch, with a wonderful celebration in Frome’s Masonic Hall.
The charity reports, “Seated at tables beautifully decorated in red and green, amidst a twinkling array of festive jumpers, dresses and tops, supported by a fascinator or two, sparkly jewellery and – once the crackers had been pulled – a sea of different coloured paper crowns, everyone tucked in. What a veritable feast it was, cooked by Simon Dredge, of a traditional turkey lunch with all the trimmings, Christmas pudding, brandy butter, mince pies and chocolates, accompanied by a variety of beverages
“Entertainment was provided by the Asda Choir, now in its seventh year, who sang beautifully – a mixture of much-loved carols and popular songs in two and three part harmony, with some of their appreciative audience joining in. Truly amazing was the solo rendition of “In The Bleak Mid-Winter” by Holly, the choir’s leader which brought a tear to many an eye. A heartfelt round of applause denoted everyone’s appreciation of the choir’s uplifting performance and prompted the comment that they were “just gold”.
“Frome’s Mayor, Mark Dorrington, had welcomed everyone on behalf of A & I T, identifying that this celebration and the work of A & IT were the epitomy of being sociable which a small town, such as Frome, should be. This was evident throughout the afternoon as people reached out to chat happily to each other, sharing amazing stories, reminiscing about old times, making new friendships, and simply enjoying being together.
“For two members and two volunteers there were also special events to celebrate and these were acknowledged by A I T’s service manager, Dougie Brown, and assistant co-ordinators, Gwen Corbet and Di Roberts, who made presentations of cards and cakes complete with candle. Jean had recently celebrated her 90th birthday, Sarah is moving to live with her sister and nephew, whilst it was Peter and Patricia’s wedding anniversary. Father Christmas also found time in his busy schedule to visit, entering to his usual greeting of “Ho Ho Ho”. Alongside a cheery comment for everyone, he gave presents which had kindly been donated by Busy Bees.
“The memorable occasion ended with the excitement of a raffle and the presentation of a generous cheque to A & IT for £500 from Roger Hatherall, a past Worshipful Master.
“Active and In Touch would like to thank Martin and The Cornerhouse, Frome Masons, Asda supplier of all the food, Asda Choir, Busy Bees, who gave up their Christmas party to give everyone a present, and Somerset Community Foundation for their ongoing generosity and support, which is hugely appreciated and valued.”
