A Birkenhead Asda worker has helped to make a "magical" day for children in the area which they will "never forget".
Community champion Ian Grant, who works in the Arrowe Park store, spread some Christmas cheer by helping to arrange a magical party complete with Santa and the Grinch for children from the Shafetsbury Youth Club. The after school club was transformed into a winter wonderland complete with giant snow globe, Santa's grotto, funfair stalls, stilt walkers and a disco.
Ian had recently arranged a £1,000 Asda Foundation grant for the club, before organising the party. He said: "We'd put Christmas wrapping paper over the door to the big room where the party was so they couldn't see inside. We could hear them all out in the corridor and then when the Christmas music started playing they were allowed to burst through the wrapping."
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He added: "When a child walks into a toy store and doesn't know what to say, well it was like that. Eyes were everywhere, mouths were open. It was a bit of shock to them and they were all screaming and shouting. It was really nice for us to do something for our community and I'm sure all the children and the volunteers loved it."
Michelle Naylor, family and community manager at the youth club, said it was a day the children would never forget. She said: "The children were all super-excited when they arrived and it was unbelievable when they burst through the wrapping and into an amazing winter wonderland. It was absolutely phenomenal."
"It was lovely to see all the children have this amount of fun and there was no financial obligation to anyone. It was all free. They could have as many goes on the games as they wanted."
She added: "Santa was here the whole time but at the end we sat him in a room and they all got a gift bag with a lot of presents to take home. At this time, more than ever when people are struggling due to the cost of living crisis, Christmas spirit like this is so needed and we can't thank Ian and Asda enough for putting it on for us. The looks on the children's faces is something that we will never forget."
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