Supported housing in Horsham gets festive makeover ready for Christmas

The Y Centre, YMCA Downslink Group’s largest housing project is home to fifty young people, who may otherwise be homeless.

Every year, deputy manager Mel Haynes, becomes Mrs Santa, pulling together a festive transformation of the communal areas, to create some seasonal magic for everyone staying at the centre over the Christmas period.

Despite Covid-19, Mel and her team created magic again this year and all the staff dressed up for the occasion, a spokeswoman for the centre said. Mel, determined not to let Covid spoil their fun, even sourced masks with fairy lights.

Helped by residents, Amber and Connor, they decorated the centre with more than 20 trees (all donated by the local community and businesses).

Another, genius Covid-19 secure addition to the decorations, is the addition of Christmas stickers to the perspex screen on reception so that staff look festive no matter what they’re wearing, she added. Fergus, their trainee therapy dog, even gets his own on the door to the back office.

The spokeswoman said: “As an organisation we have been humbled by the outpouring of love and support all of our housing projects, right across Sussex and Guildford have received by their local communities.”

On Friday the centre supported Christmas Jumper day. Staff are urging people to share their pictures by tagging @ymcadlg so the centre can post across its social channels.

The spokeswoman said: “If you want to make it a fundraiser, simply text XMASJUMPER to 70460 to Donate £2.”