We have been supporters of the Lansdown Friendship Club and were delighted to be able to provide a grant for their 2025 Christmas party. Dementia is a brutal disease which affects most people in the UK, either directly and indirectly. What LFC do for both people directly affected and those who care for them is remarkable. Having one of our trustees attend the Christmas event illustrated how special occasions like these are and how much support and joy they bring.
Mary-Jane who runs the club explains more about the event.
On the first Friday afternoon of December 2025 the Lansdown Friendship Club’s (LFC) annual Christmas party was in full festive flow. An occasion, that just a month earlier, had unexpectedly received some extra very special festive sparkle when the Parry Family Charitable Foundation awarded the LFC Christmas Party another generous grant.
The planned plates of mince pies were replaced with a ‘Festive Traditional Afternoon Tea;’ vintage crockery and wine glasses were hired and Prosecco and sparkling apple juice ordered. Christmas presents were bought and wrapped, and gift tags and Christmas cards personally written to all our guests. Invitations were sent out with the advisory suggestion to only have a very light lunch, if any, before they came!
Guests arrived to a warm welcome, a beautifully decorated hall, and the offer of a glass of fizz. With a background of Christmas music, (naturally the first on the playlist was Michael Buble’s ‘It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!’) Guests and volunteers all chatted together and anticipated the party ahead.
Soon 36 guests were seated comfortably at tables adorned with flower, cracker jokes, chocolates, and fun table gifts. Three tier cake stands were piled high with finger sandwiches, chocolate brownies, stollen cake, mince pies and much more, and volunteers shortly appeared with vintage tea pots and poured tea into lovely china cups and saucers; sandwiches were passed around and drinks topped up. Conversation flowed and volunteers mixed around.
Midway thought the afternoon tea the St Stephen’s Primary school’s choir, appeared on the stage and our guests turned their chairs to be entertained by a brilliant performance of Christmas carols and songs. When the choir returned to school, more fizz and tea were served, sandwiches and cakes topped up.
As is now tradition, guests and volunteers then took turns to share christmas cracker jokes with to the group; such a good moment to look around and appreciate the wonderful supportive group that is the LFC. And finally, as is also a tradition, we faced the stage again as the Lansdown Ukuladies led us in a fun Christmas Sing a Long.
When the afternoon’s entertainment had finished, conversation and laughter continued as guests and volunteers mingled around the room catching up with friends that they hadn’t yet had time to talk to. We then took time to wish each other a very Happy Christmas and to acknowledge as a group, the support and friendship that the LFC community had given to each other throughout the past year and to looked forward to being together again in the New Year.
Guests were delighted to receive a beautifully wrapped and personally labelled Christmas gift as they left and all enthusiastically thanked the volunteer team for a wonderful party.
We value the relationship with LFC and are thoroughly impressed with what this band of volunteers continue to achieve. We look forward to continuing to support this great cause in 2026 and beyond.