Christmas Comes Early for Portland College Residents

Thanks to a wonderful donation of £2,000 from the Freemasons of Mansfield Town Charity Committee, Independent Living residents at @PortlandCollege have really been getting in the Christmas spirit.

As they look forward to spending the festive season together on campus, residents decided to create their own Christmas t-shirts so they all have something special to wear on the big day.

Part of the generous donation was used to purchase supplies including stencils, fabric pens and blank t-shirts, as well as a sewing machine which residents have already started using to make Christmas stockings.

Last weekend, the group turned up the Christmas tunes and had lots of fun working on their festive creations, and the fantastic results speak for themselves!

Maggie Waring, Independent Living Manager commented,

“Christmas can be a difficult time of year for some of our residents, so the whole team really pulls together to make sure everyone gets the magical Christmas they deserve every year.

We are so thankful for this kind donation which will make Christmas 2020 the best yet! Everyone is really pleased with their t-shirt creations and are looking forward to wearing them on Christmas Day.

We’ve got some fabulous things planned for the festive period. As well as lots of fun activities, residents can look forward to receiving lovely presents, indulging in a tasty Christmas feast and enjoying their Christmas together. We’ve also got a big surprise planned for Christmas Eve that we know everyone will just love! We really are like one big family here and we’ll make sure everyone has the best time.”

The rest of the funds will be used to buy Christmas gifts for residents and a covered bicycle rack for outside the Independent Living building; Rowan.

Ken Purslow from Mansfield Town Freemason’s Charity Committee commented;

“In its 26^th year, our annual Swimathon took place in March, and although lockdown restrictions disrupted our plans, 30 swimmers were still able to take part. The event raises money for a specific charity each year. This year, our chosen charity was Portland College. We’re delighted that the funds raised will be put to good use, and we wish all of the residents and staff at Portland a very merry Christmas!”

Portland College’s Independent Living programme provides safe and supported accommodation for people with disabilities, enabling them to develop the skills and confidence to help them transition into independent futures.