Children and young people were greeted by a candy cane lane at Lisburn Primary Care and Community Centre (LPCCC) as part of their much anticipated Christmas Door Competition.
The creative talents of Children Services staff were proudly displayed throughout the floor as handmade Advent calendars, the Polar Express and the Pumpkin King himself, Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas, all adorned staff offices’ doors with the winner chosen by NI Hospice volunteer – and judge of the competition Siobhan McEvoy.
Embracing the festive spirit, General Secretary Children and Young Peoples ASD Service Gary Martin praised both the talent and effort of staff, thanking them all for contributing to the Hospice fundraising coffee afternoon.
“The Christmas Door competition is now in its second year at the LPCCC and people have really upped their game. The doors are just brilliant and the whole health team has really put in a lot of effort. Having the doors and the candy cane lane makes the place so colourful for the children who have been attending for their appointments. We are delighted to have Siobhan here from the Hospice and hope to have more donations in the bucket by the time the doors come down in 2025,” said Gary.
A volunteer with the NI Hospice since her mum passed away from Ovarian Cancer in 2012, Siobhan explained that having the fundraising coffee morning, “really helps a lot.”
“The NI Hospice is a charity very close to my heart. My mum died in 2012 and she was community cared I’ve been a volunteer since then. The Hospice provides specialist palliative care for over 4,000 patients, babies, children and adults. Last year, £19.5 million pounds were needed to keep the Hospice running and the majority of that funding comes from fundraising, from the community.”
Siobhan continued, “I’m delighted to be here to see all the wonderful doors and have a cup of tea with the Children’s Services staff.”
After much deliberation from Siobhan on which door should be crowned winner, it was decided that Senior Practitioner for Autism and ADHD Veronica Baille deserved first prize for her Nightmare Before Christmas creation.
“This is my seventh year in Child Health and I’ve never actually created a Christmas door before and I really wanted to make an impact this year,” laughed Veronica.
“I really enjoy making things, I’m quite crafty that way. There has been great team spirit and a lovely collaborative feel that we are all doing something. it’s great to see the kids’ faces as they catch a glimpse of the doors for the first time!”
