The final week of term brought a joyful burst of festive spirit as we opened our doors to 120 guests from local care homes, community groups and long-standing friends for one of our favourite traditions: the Community Christmas Party. This year’s event was one of our biggest, with almost 100 Junior and First Year students volunteering across entertainment and hospitality, alongside 20 parent volunteers and more than 30 members of staff whose support made the afternoon possible.
From the moment guests arrived, students ensured the room was full of warmth and chatter. The Drama Club opened the festivities with a short performance, followed by carols from our singers and a lively turn from members of the Guys and Dolls cast. Big Band 1 closed the entertainment in style, filling the hall with jazz classics. Upper Sixth saxophonist Brayden walked into the audience to play some Christmas classics, much to the delight of the guests who were thrilled to be up close to the musical talent! Mrs Burrage, Head of Community Action joked, “We hadn’t planned on this being so popular – guests kept stopping him to ask for requests. He just kept playing through it – absolutely amazing.”
A Trinity favourite returned once again: the spontaneous student-led conga, now a fully established tradition joyfully picked up by each new year group, saw our youngest students in Santa hats and Christmas jumpers snaking around tables, bringing joy to every corner of the hall.
Some of our younger students, a few even dressed as elves, were kept busy helping with bingo and the raffle, which featured around 60 prizes generously donated by parents and staff. Many thanks to everyone who donated, including one of our alumnus-founded companies Monty Bojangles – who donated the ‘full house’ prize.
One visiting group wrote afterwards, “The boys dressed as elves were wonderfully helpful, the food was delicious, the entertainment was excellent, and the raffle prizes were superb. A glass (or two!) of Baileys at the end made the afternoon even merrier.”
The Baileys, introduced this year in place of the traditional sherry, turned out to be an unexpected star of the show. “We could barely keep up with demand,” joked Mrs Burrage.
One guest told us their 92-year-old aunt, who has had a particularly difficult year health-wise having to move out of her independent living apartment, “thoroughly enjoyed the whole event, especially the jazz musicians”, adding that the afternoon “lifted her spirits” and “put a smile on her face”.
Another care home shared their appreciation for the transport provided by Trinity parents and staff: “Residents had a wonderful time and we are very grateful for the kindness shown to us all.”
Reflecting on the event, Mrs Claire Burrage said, “It’s an honour to welcome our older community into school each Christmas. Many of our guests have limited opportunities to socialise or enjoy live music, and the warmth in the room really sums up what makes Trinity special.”
Merry Christmas everyone!
Scroll right to see more stories
