More than 200 Central Coast tenants of community housing provider Home in Place came together to celebrate the festive season at Wyong Racecourse and Showground on December 20.
Home in Place CEO Australia, Lyndall Robertshaw, said there were plenty of smiles, games, showbags, painted faces, and a visit from Santa on the day.
The Wadalba and Tuggerah Rural Fire Service were there too.
Robertshaw said annual Christmas events are one of the ways Home in Place engages with its tenants and provides an opportunity for tenants to socialise with each other.
It held a variety of events from Christmas picnics, to lunches and barefoot bowls days in a number of communities across NSW and in Brisbane.
This year residents from Special Disability Accommodation homes managed by Home in Place were also invited to attend Christmas events and some tenants in group homes had their own Christmas craft morning teas.
Robertshaw said many Home in Place tenants do it tough at the best of times and are bearing the brunt of cost of living pressures.
“We like to have a day where people can forget about what’s going on for them and enjoy themselves,” she said.
“Engaging tenants to give them skills and support to participate fully in their community is an important part of what are about.”
She said members of the community and tenants who volunteer at Home in Place’s Central Coast hub – the Meeting Place – also volunteered at the event.
“These events really bring out the best of the spirit of Christmas,” she said.
“Everyone deserves a bit of Christmas fun and magic.”
Home in Place is a NSW based not for profit community housing provider managing more than 7000 social, affordable and disability housing properties in NSW, Queensland and Victoria.
Source: Media release, Dec 22, 2022, Home in Place