By The Open Arms Team
On 30th October, a free children’s Halloween Party was held at Sunnyside Community Centre for local families. Maria, Ali and Karen welcomed families to the event which gave them an opportunity to promote Open Arms and provide information as to how families could access help with cost-of-living pressures.
The event was fully booked and attracted a total of approximately 100 attendees. We welcomed a total of 32 adults to the event, with 29 being new participants. As there was a competition for the best costume, all the children came with Halloween costumes and some adults did too. This all helped to create a relaxed setting where discussions could take place.
The event featured Patsy and Trudi, who through a variety of activities entertained the families, with games, face painting, balloon modelling, dancing and competitions, with prizes awarded to the winners. Karen carried out an activity with the children making masks. There were several free activities and prizes reducing the cost barrier for families and several people were overwhelmed that this event was free. Patsy also entertained the children with an exciting magic show, inviting them to take part in the tricks, which they thoroughly enjoyed.
Daisy and Elysia (RMBC Tenant Engagement Team) attended and interacted with the families by carrying out an activity where you had to guess the number of lollipops in the jar and the closest to this won the jar of lollipops as the prize.
Parents were offered hot drinks, and a selection of snacks, fresh fruit and tasty treats was also available for the children throughout the event.
The party brought families together for a fun-filled celebration in a relaxed, welcoming setting. Alongside the activities, the team shared clear information about cost-of-living support and how to access it, making advice feel approachable, relevant and available to everyone. The children’s enjoyment encouraged families to engage with the team and take information home, helping them feel more confident about seeking support when needed. This combination reduced barriers to engagement and offered a direct route into Open Arms support. Strong attendance and enthusiastic participation reflected the event’s popularity and success.
Feedback form the event:
“Brilliant event for local community, kids loved it.”
“Lovely event as always. Great atmosphere & fab staff. 10/10 😁”
“Fantastic event Kids loved it! Thank you, Ali, for the lovely cups of tea & a warm welcome!”
“Thanks for having us! The kids had a great time. They loved the entertainment. The Hedges!”
“Absolutely fantastic event! All the kids were engaged-which of course meant that the adults were happy! The staff were all very friendly. Brilliant”
“A really wonderful well organised event. The children have loved it. Thank you”
” A brilliant event for the children in the community! Lots of different activities & entertainment. They loved it. Thank you!”
“Children had lots of fun, nice variety snacks face painting great. Thank you.”
“This has been Brilliant. Our grandsons have really enjoyed it. All the helpers/staff were lovely. Will definitely come again. Grandsons already asking”.
“It has been a great party, the children have enjoyed it & the snacks were a lovely surprise. Thanks”
“Lovely event great entertainment we loved it all thank you.
“Fantastic Halloween party Kids loved it 😁”
“Very enjoyable for the children. They had so much fun. Thank you”