Little Lights make the park sparkle!

Welcoming the winter months in true festive style, our Little Lights celebration event was a great success bringing families together and filling the grounds of Beaumont Park in Huddersfield with sparkly wonder!

Celebrating the children that make Christmas time so magical, the event showed perfectly how the power of community spirit can create some truly special moments. The cold weather certainly wasn’t stopping anyone – as children played and adults danced to keep warm – the freeze was strong but the magic was stronger! 

It all started with a captivating show by our very own Forget Me Not choir who, in perfect harmony, performed some classic Christmas carols that had us all swaying and singing along. And cheering them on was none other than our brand new mascot, Russell Bear, making his debut appearance to the delight of all the children! 

We heard from our CEO, Luen Thompson, and Colin Harwood, one of our Forget Me Not dads. Both reminded us of the importance of our Little Lights campaign in raising the funds we need to help children with life-shortening conditions and their families through what can be the most difficult time of the year. 

Next up came the parade, where kids waved their lit-up wands and adults grabbed their Bailey’s hot chocolates to stroll around Beaumont Park, lighting up the trees and shrubs as they passed. For us, seeing everyone walk together in solidarity was one of the most heart-warming spectacles of the evening; one crowd, one cause, and one very special evening. 

And the fun didn’t end there! Arriving back from the parade, we were treated to a beautiful performance by the Slaithwaite Brass Band, who played joyous tunes and merry carols that put us all in the Christmas spirit! It was the perfect way to finish an evening full of love, positivity and togetherness. 

Please support our Little Lights campaign by dedicating a decoration to the little light in your life – whether that’s your son, daughter, niece, nephew, grandchild or anyone else. You’ll receive a special, star-shaped decoration to hang on your Christmas tree and we’ll hang one on our tree too here at Russell House dedicated to your little one. Visit www.forgetmenotchild.co.uk/dedicate-a-decoration to get started. 

A huge thank you to Richter Associates Ltd. who sponsored our Little Lights event, to Friends of Beaumont Park, the Slaithwaite Brass Band, all our volunteers, and to everyone who braved the cold to support us! We’re already looking forward to next year’s event! But until then, we wish everyone a very merry Christmas!