Newark Santa’s Grotto, raising funds for YMCA Newark and Sherwood, given a facelift by Newark College students
Those visiting Santa’s Grotto this weekend will no doubt admire the beautifully decorated scenery, which was created by talented college students.
Newark Santa’s Grotto, which will be held in the Buttermarket and this year is raising funds for YMCA Newark and Sherwood, is the brainchild of Emma Holden and now in its eighth year, she decided that the grotto was in need of a facelift and she approached Newark College for help.
The college’s Level 1 Carpentry and Joinery students designed and manufactured the new fence and sourced the materials, and then the Level 1 multi skills students painted the finished article.
Emma aka Elf Bossy Boots said: “The fence is the perfect finishing touch to this year's Grotto and the elves are over the moon with it. The quality of craftsmanship, the professionalism of the students and the aesthetic look of the finished result have far exceeded their expectations.
“Santa and Elf BossyBoots are thrilled and would highly recommend the Newark College students to any other local businesses that are looking for help with a project.”
Newark College also created a Santa’s sleigh for the community a number of years ago, which still ferries Santa around every Christmas, and Penny Taylor MBE, Head of Newark Campuses said those who made it are keen to point out their involvement:
“We want this to be the same in the grotto, for students to be proud of the work they have done,” she said, “At Newark College we’re immensely proud of being part of the local community and giving back to the town.
“By creating the fencing for the Santa’s Grotto, we feel that this will be something that the community will value for years to come. We’re often bowled over by the reaction to our collective contributions to the town, especially when they have lasting value.
‘What creating this fence really represents is what the College is striving for; to be a place where students meet the needs of potential employers, calculating the amount of wood and materials needed, costing it, and then building it.
“What this reminds us all of is that small projects like this have a huge impact. By giving our learners tasks that have value, they certainly get to understand why it is so important to be connected to the place they have a stake in. It’s also not just about the impact it has on the town and the link it has to course assessments, but also about having fun.
“With that in mind, we’d like to wish everyone in Newark a Merry Christmas and we hope the donations come in thick and fast at the grotto.”
