Christmas Lunch for the Community

Christmas Lunch for the Community

On 20 December, we had the pleasure of hosting a special Christmas lunch to give back to the Broadwater Care Home community, following their incredible kindness during the November 2023 local water supply outage.

The Inspiration

Without water, one of the biggest challenges was how to feed the pupils and staff left at School and how to maintain hygiene standards for meal preparation and washing up. Thanks to hygiene regulations, washing up requires sanitizing temperatures, which only dishwashers can achieve. Amber Lowmas, one of our Operations staff, reached out to her husband, who works at Broadwater Care Home. Within minutes, Broadwater kindly offered us the use of their facilities for as long as we needed. This generous gesture inspired us to give something back to Broadwater.

Last summer, Saskia Dolinska (Operations Manager) and Quinten Basson (Director of Catering) both independently approached the Deputy Bursar Karen Silcox with an idea: to host a Christmas lunch for Broadwater residents. The Head gave his permission, and the planning began.

The Event

Working with Amber and her contacts, we welcomed approximately 90 guests from Broadwater Care Home, Eastlake, and Alingham Court. Additionally, a few community-supported individuals joined after hearing about the event.

The school’s minibus fleet, driven by staff volunteers, collected and returned our guests. Holroyd Howe, our catering supplier, generously covered the cost of the wine and food. The catering staff worked tirelessly to prepare a festive menu of:

  • Turkey with stuffing, pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce, gravy, and vegetables
  • A selection of puddings
  • Tea, coffee, chocolates, mince pies, and fruit

Decorations and Entertainment

The CDR was transformed thanks to one of our suppliers The Company Presents, who donated and delivered décor, including a stage backdrop, lighting, and snowflake effects on the ceiling.

Entertainment for the day was provided by staff members Greg Hard and Diana Salvi, who hosted over three hours of activities, including:

  • Singing performances
  • A Christmas quiz
  • Bingo and a raffle
  • Diana also performed an unaccompanied rendition of Silent Night.

Special Guests and Surprises

The Mayor and Mayoress attended the event, delivering a lovely speech and lead in saying grace. Each guest received a goody bag containing a Charterhouse water bottle, notebook, charity Christmas bauble, and teddy bear.

Before heading home, guests were given a driven tour of the Old School buildings, which sparked much delight.

One of our guests in their 90s shared that he used to work at Charterhouse as a cook. He was keen to meet Head Chef, Donald Marshall. They sat talking for some time and it really seemed to make his day.

Acknowledgments

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who made this event possible:

  • Catering Staff: For volunteering to cook and serve.
  • Operations Team: For setting up, clearing up, creating goody bags, and acting as helpers and elves.
  • Minibus Drivers: Jim Freeman, John Eastman, David Hackett, and Tim Ostle, for ensuring guests arrived and departed safely.
  • Entertainment: Greg Hard and Diana Salvi, for their performances.
  • Medical Support: Helen Marshall, for being on standby.
  • Elves Extraordinaire: Shirley Partridge and Ali Siddal.

The event lasted four hours and was a celebration of community, kindness, and festive spirit.

Everyone enjoyed the warm, caring hospitality, the delicious lunch and the great entertainment, It was a true and very special gift to our older residents and their carers. Your staff gave their time and talents freely and deserve commendation. On behalf of Godalming Town Council, please pass on our heartfelt thanks. 

Councillor Paul Rivers, Godalming Town Mayor