Staff at Clacton Pier brought some extra sunshine to the lives of seriously ill children by hosting a special VIP event.
The youngsters and their families were invited to a free evening of fun at the seaside attraction and the chance to make precious memories.
They had full use of the soft play, adventure golf, dodgems, Santa’s Grotto, video games and the amusement arcade.
There was also a craft space and buffet laid on, which was supported by a number of the pier’s suppliers.
Families travelled from as far afield as Leicester and Hastings for the event organised by national charity, Rays of Sunshine, as part of its 12 days of Wishmas campaign – hosting 12 free events across the UK.
The charity, which was founded in 2003, aims to brighten the lives of seriously and terminally ill children aged from three to 18 by granting magical wishes and hosting events in the community. The charity
The charity has worked with the pier before with collaborations from 2016 to 2018 and it is hoped this will now continue annually with two events a year, one in summer and one in winter.
Almost 40 staff at the pier gave up their time on a volunteer basis to host the group.
Communications Manager Nigel Brown said the attraction is proud to support Rays of Sunshine on an ongoing basis.
“There were smiles all round – not only on the faces of the children, their siblings and parents – but also our staff who thoroughly enjoyed being involved in such a worthwhile event,” he added.
“We thank them for giving up their time this weekend to make a real difference to the lives of others. It also helps to raise the profile of the charity which is very important.”
Jenny Porter, Events Manager at Rays of Sunshine said: “Like all our community events, 12 Days of Wishmas, aims to bring wish families together, so they can meet others who have faced similar experiences with a serious illness, and most importantly, have some festive fun!
“Thank you to everyone at Clacton Pier and all the partners involved who helped us to provide a magical event for so many families.”
Bookers in Clacton and Websters Foods of Kirby Cross donated towards the evening and ETP – Events Photo Team, the pier’s photography providers donated photos for all the families.
Children also had the chance to meet pier mascot Sidney the Seagull who was on site in his Christmas outfit.
