The Motherwell FC Community Trust held a Christmas party for more than 20 elderly people from a local care home.
Providing guests with a turkey dinner, gifts and music, the trust oversaw a successful afternoon in Fir Park’s Centenary Suite.
And for event organiser Carly Slamin, it was a pleasing moment seeing the guests from Ravens Court Sheltered Housing enjoy themselves and get in the festive spirit.
She said: “It’s lovely to be able to put on a lunch for people who may need some cheering up at Christmas time.”
“The lunch day was great, the look on the people faces when they received a gift was amazing to see and it has made myself and the Community Trust delighted to be able to make someone’s day through a small gesture.”
Carly hopes to see more positive work like this take lace between the football club, the trust and local care home Ravens Court.
[pullquote]We’re hoping to build on our relationship with Ravens Court sheltered housing in the future through offering different activities in the Motherwell community and involving them in our Memory Well project.[/pullquote]
She said: “We’re hoping to build on our relationship with Ravens Court sheltered housing in the future through offering different activities in the Motherwell community and involving them in our Memory Well project.”
Community Trust general manager Dawn Middleton added: “This afternoon is exactly what the Community Trust was set up to do, to engage with all sectors of the community, coming three days after we had over 100 young people at a Christmas party, we’ve now got over 20 from the other end of the age spectrum.”
She continued: “The credit has to go to Carly Slamin for all of her hard work in setting it up, her liaison with Ravens Court, her liaison with catering staff, making sure music and everything was in place – she’s done a great job.
[pullquote]This afternoon is exactly what the Community Trust was set up to do, to engage with all sectors of the community, coming three days after we had over 100 young people at a Christmas party.[/pullquote]
“Particular thanks has to go to the SPFL Trust for their funding through the Festive Friends Initiative to enable this to happen.
“One of the key aims of this project is to focus on people who don’t necessarily have family and friends to share Christmas with.
“This is hugely important and an opportunity that Motherwell Football Club can offer; for people to come along and be part of the club at this time of year.”
Ravens Court Sheltered Housing not only care for elderly people but also people with illnesses, and those staying in their care range from the age of 23 up to 94.
Margaret McLaughlin, Housing Co-ordinator at Ravens Court said: “A lot of the elderly people staying at Ravens Court have family but a lot are also a bit isolated and don’t get a lot of visits.
[pullquote]It’s nice to be working beside Motherwell Football Club who we’re really close to because we actually have a lot of Motherwell supporters so it’s lovely that the club have invited us here to celebrate Christmas.[/pullquote]
“We try to do a lot of things like this ourselves but it’s nice to be working beside Motherwell Football Club who we’re really close to because we actually have a lot of Motherwell supporters so it’s lovely that the club have invited us here to celebrate Christmas – it’s perked everyone up and it gave us all something to look forward to so it’s been lovely.
“On Christmas day a lot of people don’t go anywhere or their families don’t come and take them home for the day but because we’re 24 hours, we do something for them.
“Although it’s a celebration for most of the community, it can be a really lonely time for others and we’re aware of that.
She added: “I’ve actually brought my dad along with me today, he doesn’t stay at Ravens Court but he’s been quite ill and has had to get dialysis so he’s been quite isolated at home and only really gets out for dialysis.
“He’s been an avid football supporter all his days, he used to lift me over the turnstiles when I was young and I knew that he’d really enjoy this today and he has.”