Red Rose Care Unites The Generations As Christmas Card Competition Winners Are Announced

Red Rose Care Community has successfully brought festive cheer to the local area with its Christmas card competition, designed to help form connections between the generations and celebrate the creativity of young artists in Newark.

The competition saw enthusiastic participation from children at local primary schools, including St Peter’s Cross Keys C of E Academy, Sir Donald Bailey Academy, and Chuter Ede Primary School. The children were tasked with creating a Christmas card to be shared with residents’ families and the local community this festive season.

The winning design, by Cara from St Peter’s Cross Keys, was chosen for its creativity and festive spirit, and has been printed as the official Red Rose Christmas card for 2024. Each of the top three young artists was awarded a prize from a selection including art supplies, a sweet hamper and an Amazon voucher.

The highlight of the initiative was a Festive Tea Party held at Red Rose Care Community, with the winning school invited for an afternoon of refreshments and festive cheer. The children also performed a carol service for delighted residents.

Sarah Taylor, Red Rose’s newly appointed Community Engagement Manager, ran the initiative with Activity Coordinators Charlotte Doyle and Dwane Harvey. Reflecting on the success of the event, she said:

“The response to our competition has been incredible. Seeing the creativity and enthusiasm of local children has been heartwarming, and the joy it brought to our residents was priceless. Initiatives like this highlight the power of community and the magic of Christmas!”

Sarah is dedicated to building lasting relationships between the care home and the wider Newark community. Following the success of this competition, she plans to launch a ‘pen pal’ initiative in the new year, aimed at strengthening bonds between local schoolchildren and Red Rose residents.

Sarah said she is very grateful to the schools and families who participated and who helped to make the competition a memorable success, adding:

“This competition has shown just how much creativity and kindness exists within our community. Together, we’ve created something truly special, and we’re excited to grow these connections in the future.”