This year's Service User Christmas Party was the best yet according to ... well... everyone!

Four years ago the Bristol Bridge Rotary Club got involved in helping us put on a Christmas Party for the young people we support, since then its become a bit of a tradition and one we're very fond of.

This year the schedule of events went a little something like this...

Around 40 young people arrived and got into teams.

Our top DJ for the night, Duchy played some tunes in the background.

There was a Photo quiz, drinks, snacks and Christmas Crackers on the tables ready for our fabulously dapper compare Edwin Dyson to start the evening off.

We had a spellbinding Magician, Chris Beard, wandering from table to table, leaving a trail of amazed faces, dissappeared coins and bent forks...

Cue: Full Christmas Dinner  - all the trimmings. Many thanks to Bernie and her crew from Eden (Eat Day Eat Night) for yummy food.

Timed Apple-bobbing competition - water everywhere, several people completely soaked  - health and safety mayhem - brilliant.

Cue: Pudding  - Seven different types! Including a beautiful home-made Chocolate Christmas cake donated by June Baron (Thanks June!)

Jam Doughnut Eating Competition  - no-one choked, no-one threw up. Success.

The highlight of the night was a game of fancy dress which consisted of each team decorating one of their team members in the most Christmassy way they could, in five minutes using: toilet paper, foil, cello-tape, marker, bin liner and balloons. DJ Duchy decided the best thing to do was drop in a bit of twisted hardcore dubstep. It was all a bit David Lynch... but inspired some quite artistic creations.

Throughout the night there was face painting, fancy dress photo booth run by a Photography student Megan, from Newport University and Tom, one of our Youth Involvement Workers. People got to take their photos home with them and a chance to win an Independent People hoodie by modelling one of our T-shirts (Congratulations to Cherry!)

We finished off with a raffle and prize-giving for the best teams.

As people left they were given a goodie bag full of christmas treats, chocolate, flapjacks, toiletries, accessories and a lottery ticket!

The Rotary Club and our Participation Team (Joni & Tom) organised the evening's events and prizes.

All the young people in the photos are supported by Independent People. It was a huge success, and has definitely created some good memories.
 
Thanks to Jack from St George's House for helping us design the flyers, Support workers for helping young people get to and from the party, and to everyone to who is donating to the Christmas Appeal. Which is still running by the way... Click here to donate to the Independent People Christmas Appeal