Level 2 Paint and Bodywork students at the College of West Anglia Wisbech have brought festive magic to life this week after designing and painting a brand-new Christmas grotto display for The Jordan’s Santa’s Grotto – a local community initiative created to ensure every family, regardless of financial circumstances can experience the magic of Christmas.
Students, Ryan Heath, Rowan McAuley-Smith, and Hannah Raab worked collaboratively to produce a vibrant, hand painted festive house that will be used throughout the Christmas season. The project allowed learners to apply their technical paint and refinishing skills to a real community brief, while also contributing to an event that brings joy to local children.
Children visiting the grotto have the chance to meet Santa, receive a gift bag, a present and homemade reindeer food, before walking through a beautiful, decorated Christmas trail filled with lights, displays and festive scenes.
Lucy from the Jordan’s Santa’s Grotto visited the college to collect the finished display and thanked the students for their hard work and creativity.
Paint and Body Lecturer, Mark Elvin said ' It's been brilliant to see the students get stuck into the grotto project. Ryan, Rowan and Hannah really put their hearts into it, and you can see the pride they took in every detail. Knowing their work will help bring some Christmas magic to families who might not get the chance to, makes me as a lecturer feel really proud.'
Ryan said "Working on the Santa’s Grotto project has been such a fun and rewarding experience. It feels special knowing that children will get to enjoy the magic of Christmas, explore the grotto, and create moments of real joy."
Lucy Cripps from The Jordan’s Santa’s Grotto said ‘We are really impressed with how the Christmas house was painted! The students did an amazing job and the house is now pride of place in our grotto! The first children are coming today and Santa is so happy to be able to have the house as a part of our project. We are providing a completely free Santas Grotto for the local community and as this is our first year of many to come, I want to thank the college for being such a help in contributing to the grotto this year. Mark was so delightful and thank you to Ryan, Rowan and Hannah for the great care they have taken in their work! We can use it for many years to come.’