Red Rose Care Community in Farndon announced the Christmas card competition winners with participants from primary schools including St Peter’s Cross Keys Church of England Academy, Sir Donald Bailey Academy and Chuter Ede Primary School.

A care community has brought festive cheer to the area as Christmas card competition winners are announced.

Red Rose Care Community, in Farndon, created a competition to help form connections between generations and celebrate the creativity of young artists in Newark.

The competition saw participation from children of the surrounding primary schools including St Peter’s Cross Keys Church of England Academy, Sir Donald Bailey Academy and Chuter Ede Primary School.

The children were tasked with creating a Christmas card to be shared with residents’ families and the community this festive season.

The winning design, by Cara from St Peter’s Cross Keys, was chosen for its creativity and festive spirit and has been printed as the official Red Rose Christmas card for 2024.

Each of the top three young artists was awarded a prize from a selection that included art supplies, a sweet hamper, and an Amazon voucher.

The highlight of the initiative was a Festive Tea Party held at Red Rose Care Community, with the winning school invited for an afternoon of refreshments and festive cheer.

The children also performed a carol service for the residents.

Sarah Taylor, Red Rose’s newly appointed community engagement manager, ran the initiative with activity coordinators Charlotte Doyle and Dwane Harvey.

Sarah Taylor said: “The response to our competition has been incredible. Seeing the creativity and enthusiasm of local children has been heartwarming, and the joy it brought to our residents was priceless.

“Initiatives like this highlight the power of community and the magic of Christmas.”

Following the success of this competition, Sarah plans to launch a ‘pen pal’ initiative in the new year, aimed at strengthening bonds between local schoolchildren and Red Rose residents.

Sarah said she is very grateful to the schools and families who participated and who helped to make the competition a memorable success.

She added: “This competition has shown just how much creativity and kindness exists within our community.

“Together, we’ve created something truly special, and we’re excited to grow these connections in the future.”