First up was a visit from the big man himself on 11 December 2024. Following a special request from elves on our staff team, Santa came along to Fun Street at Silverburn Shopping Centre to meet children of Glen Oaks tenants.  

The children also enjoyed exclusive access to the play facilities at Fun Street and both kids and adults all dined together tucking in to a festive feast. The association said it was very grateful that Santa was able to find some time in his busy schedule for us - everyone was so excited to meet him, and all had a great time.  

Not wanting to be outdone by the youngsters, a group of more mature residents enjoyed a trip to the panto at the King’s Theatre that afternoon. The association has thanked its contractor CCG for funding the outing.

And finally, just before Christmas, after receiving some disappointing news that the housing association’s Cash for Kids application was unlikely to be awarded due to unprecedented demands this year, it received a surprise phone call from Cash for Kids, offering the association gifts for local families.  

In a last-minute dash, with less than an hour’s notice, it was all hands on deck with the Glen Oaks elves collecting the gifts and setting up their workshop. A fantastic number of gifts were available for collection from the Glen Oaks office on 20 December 2024.  

Glen Oaks Housing Association said: “Seeing everyone pitch in together to deliver something that really made a difference to so many families is the true magic of Christmas. We would like to thank Cash for Kids for helping to bring some Christmas cheer to our communities.”