Our magical trip to Hillier’s Light Up Trail
Children, young adults, staff and families from Naomi House & Jacksplace recently took a very magical trip out of the hospices to the enchanting Light Up Trail at Hillier Gardens!
Light Up Trails donated 100 tickets to Naomi House & Jacksplace for the opening night of its Light Up Christmas trail at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens in Romsey. So, our care team took children and young adults staying at the hospices on a very festive trip out via the hospice bus. Some of our families also took up the kind offer and visited the gardens too.
Claire Potterton, Play & Activities Team Leader who organised the trip, said:
The opportunity for a trip out is always exciting for those staying with us and also for staff. It adds an extra special element to our day and this trip was fully embraced by all. Not only did it feel wonderful to take the children and young adults out, but it was also an uplifting festive boost for everyone.
The generous offering of 100 free tickets also meant that we could offer these out to our families. All families were given the opportunity to enter into a draw to be selected for the evening. These kinds of events are so important for the families in our care, not only because of the cost of these events but also due to the knowledge that this will be organised for them, without having to check the finer details. We ensured with the event organisers that the event was suitable and fully accessible.
We would like to thank everyone at Light Up Trails for the wonderful opportunity that this event has given to the children, young adults, families and staff at Naomi House & Jacksplace. It was brilliantly organised and such a spectacular evening for everyone to enjoy. We are incredibly grateful to have attended the opening night and that we all had the chance to be fully immersed in the magic provided by the Christmas lights.
The trail included lasers, multi-sensory light shows on the water, a ‘mirrored world’, a Winter Wonderland, illuminated reindeers, snowdrops, icicles and hundreds of colourful Christmas lights.
Charlotte Coulouras, Play & Activities Team Member, attended the trip. Here’s what she thought of the evening:
The light trail at Hillier Gardens was amazing. What a way to start off Christmas! The lights and music brightened everyone’s faces – the smiles were unforgettable.
It means so much to the young people and children to attend events like this; it makes them feel included and valued.
A massive thank you to Light Up Trails for donating these tickets and putting on such a magical display for all of us at Naomi House & Jacksplace. Each and every one of us who attended had so much fun.
A couple of our families also shared their magical experiences:
The children had a wonderful time. The lights were great for their sensory needs, especially for our little one who is visually impaired. The footpath was very wheelchair accessible – I had no trouble pushing our little one around, and there was plenty of disabled parking. There was also plenty of good photo opportunities, making it a lovely event for making memories. We’d like to say a big thank you to Light Up Trails for the offer of tickets to a very inclusive event.
We had an absolutely wonderful time at Hillier Gardens tonight. The light up trail was fantastic and even Luke stayed awake for it and was looking around at everything. I think he really enjoyed it.
To find out more about the magical Light Up Trails, visit their website here.
To find out more about Sir Harold Hillier Gardens visit their website here.
