On Sunday, 15th December, Gratitude hosted its most magical Santa’s Grotto yet at Jump In by Airhop Trampoline Park, creating an unforgettable Christmas experience for over 230 children.
Thanks to the unwavering dedication of our extraordinary volunteers, this year’s event was bigger, brighter, and better than ever.
The day was filled with festive joy, laughter, and a sense of togetherness. Families were welcomed into a beautifully decorated space where creativity and fun were at the heart of everything.
Children had the chance to:
🎅 Meet two amazing Santas, who greeted each child with a Christmas chocolate and a small toy delivered by Santa’s hardworking elves.
📝 Write Letters to Santa before meeting the big man himself—making wishes come true one letter at a time.
🎨 Explore the arts and crafts tables, where colouring, activity sheets, making Christmas decorations and bracelets brought smiles to little faces.
🎲 Take part in the hugely popular Games Station, where every child was a winner and walked away with a prize to cherish.
The wonderful volunteers didn’t stop there—refreshments were lovingly prepared and served, including over 150 sandwiches, 6 boxes of pastries, 200+ drinks, crisps, chocolate cake, and raisins. Every detail was thoughtfully planned to ensure families felt welcomed and cared for.
A heartfelt thank you goes to everyone who made this event so special. From preparing and decorating the room, helping with the Christmas shop, making sandwiches, bringing pastries from the shops, preparing and printing activity sheets and letters to Santa, helping on the day and clearing up afterward, to transporting toys and gifts—every contribution mattered.
A very special THANK YOU to the management and staff of Jump In Trampoline Park, who were so kind and incredibly helpful at every step. No request was too big or small, and their support helped make this event truly seamless and magical. They have been simply amazing, and we are so grateful for their support.
We would also like to thank the community, corporate and individual donors who generously provided mountains of toys and gifts in the run-up to Christmas. It was truly inspiring to see people from across the community come together to spread joy and kindness during this festive season.
Special thanks go to Beata, Barbara, and every volunteer who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to bring this event to life. Without their energy, creativity, and commitment, events like these wouldn’t be possible.
This year’s Grotto was truly something special—bigger and more magical than ever before. The community feedback has been overwhelmingly kind, with one parent sharing:
“Thank you so much for the most amazing Christmas party. My children absolutely loved it—the decorations, games, and prizes were magical. The fact this was a free event helped so much. Special thanks to Beata and all the ladies at Gratitude. Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas!”
Another wrote:
“I wanted to say a massive THANKYOU to all the hard-working volunteers for all the hard work you do for
us, our children and our families. All children were extremely happy and excited to meet Santa. A big thank you from the bottom of my heart for all support that means the world, everything…
THANK YOU SO MUCH❤️❤️❤️❤️”
In the days leading up to the Grotto, Gratitude’s Christmas Store also brought joy to families, allowing parents to choose a toy, clothing, and a book for each child—ensuring Christmas magic reached every corner of the community. Over two days 176 families were served providing presents to around 350 grateful children from the community.
To everyone who played a part, thank you for your hard work, creativity, and dedication. You are the heart of Gratitude, and events like this are only possible because of you. Together, we truly can achieve extraordinary things.
From all of us at Gratitude, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year! 🎄✨
Written by Carolyne
