Emma’s fundraising dress up day

Emma, who works at the Birches has been running an annual charity fundraiser every Christmas for the past few years. She dresses up and works a whole shift in a festive outfit, for sponsorship to a charity of her choice. Emma usually selects a charity which reflects a customer/customers within the service. This year she has chosen motor neurone disease (MND). 

Emma is pictured in her festive outfit with Margaret who lives with the condition at The Birches. 

The dress-up day is always on the same day as the Birches' Christmas party, with Optalis supporting Housing Solutions, who organise the event. This year, not only did Emma do a full care shift in her festive outfit, she also was running around entertaining the tenants along with the ukulele group.

The dress ‘Emma up day’ is now a Christmas tradition that the tenants absolutely love. Tenants often start asking, months before Christmas, what Emma will be dressing up as next. Emma is never told what she is going to be and is always blindfolded while the team dress her. 

So far she has been a giant Christmas turkey, an elf, and last year Mother Christmas riding a reindeer. 

Emma has raised £190 so far, with money still coming in. If anyone would like to donate then you can go directly to https://www.mndassociation.org/get-involved/donations/