Octavia Foundation bring Christmas Cheer to older local people

The Octavia Foundation brought a dose of Christmas cheer to the older and isolated people it supports, by hosting their annual Christmas party at the London Marriott, Marble Arch.

The party, which is held in collaboration with Octavia Housing, is attended by over 120 older, vulnerable or isolated people from the local boroughs of Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea.

Christmas can be a lonely time with over half (51%) of all people aged 75 and over living alone (ONS, 2010). The Octavia Christmas party is a lively and fun event which many look forward to all year.

The party goers were treated to a delicious Christmas lunch as well as a raffle for some amazing donated prizes, a live band, dancing, speeches and a visit from Father Christmas! Some volunteers for Grosvenor Estates performed some songs from the shows to keep up the Christmas spirit.

Sainsbury’s Brompton Road very generously donated goody bags for each older person who attended. Many of the attendees have mobility issues which contributes to their isolation so transport and help was arranged to ensure all those who wanted to attend, could.

Reena Mukherji, Director of The Octavia Foundation, says:

“We support older, isolated and vulnerable people throughout the year with our befriending projects but we know that Christmas is a particularly important time to reach out to those in need. One lady who came to a recent event we held had not left her house in over 2 years; hearing stories like this remind us of how vital and life changing our work can be”

David Mitchell, Manager at Sainsbury’s Brompton Road says:

“We love the work the Octavia Foundation does for people in our local area so we jumped at the chance to be involved in this event.”