BERKSHIRE PUPILS HELP SPREAD FESTIVE CHEER WITH CHRISTMAS CARDS FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY

Four artistic pupils at Shinfield St Mary’s CE Junior School in Shinfield have won a Christmas card competition to help spread the festive feeling to members of the community in need of a message of support.

The competition, organised by Wokingham Borough Council and sponsored by David Wilson Homes, was to create the designs for 500 Christmas cards to be distributed by The Link Visiting Scheme; a Wokingham-based charity combating loneliness with friendship.

After a range of creative designs were submitted, the four winners were Amber Jones (8), Samuel Hiscock (9), Luna Slone (9) and Grace Tyler (7), each of whom were presented with their framed cards and will each receive a Love2Shop voucher as a prize for their winning designs.

Philippa Chan, Headteacher at Shinfield CE Junior School, said: “We’d like to thank David Wilson Homes who sponsored this year’s Christmas card design competition where there were many entries of an outstanding quality.

“I am impressed at the quality of the designs and we hope that the recipients of the cards enjoy displaying them this jolly season.”

Katie Brook, a charity representative of The Link Visiting Scheme, attended the presentation at Shinfield St Mary’s CE Primary School to accept the 500 Christmas cards from the pupils before they’re delivered to local residents to offer a festive message of support.

Katie said: “We are focused on supporting older people who are on their own over the Christmas period and on the day itself, and we know they will be delighted with these wonderful cards. It’s another reminder that they are not forgotten which is especially important after this difficult 18 months.”

The Link Visiting Scheme is a local charity that supports older people who are struggling with the serious impact of loneliness and isolation. Through a network of nearly 400 volunteers, it celebrates and enables friendships in all projects.

Rob Allen, Sales Director at David Wilson Homes Southern, said: “It was a pleasure to team up with Wokingham Borough Council and The Link Visiting Scheme to provide the pupils of Shinfield St Mary’s CE Primary School with a fun festive activity that supported a fantastic cause.

“Christmas is a wonderful time of year but it’s important to think of those who might be alone during the holidays and the charity offers an excellent support network for those in need of friendship.

“We’d like to thank all the pupils who took part in the Christmas card competition for their entries and we hope they’ve taken great pride in knowing they’ve helped spread festive cheer in their local community.”