A Donaghadee funeral directors created a beautiful Christmas window display and worked closely with primary schools to support bereaved families and care home residents during the festive period.
Shields of Donaghadee Funeral Directors incorporated robins into its window display to symbolise families’ loved ones being with them at Christmas, as well as posters appealing for donations of hats, gloves, toiletries and more for local care home residents.
Funeral Arranger Terrie Mallon said: “Our annual Christmas memorial service had to be cancelled this year due to social distancing restrictions, so we set out to support the local community in other meaningful ways.
“Robins are often seen as a symbol that loved ones are still here, which can be especially comforting for those missing loved ones at Christmas. We therefore hope our window display brings comfort to bereaved families and passers-by, while the amazing donations we’ve received, particularly from local pupils and their families, keep care home residents warm during the cold winter months.”
Funeral Partners funeral homes across Northern Ireland created Christmas window displays as part of an internal competition to spread the theme of hope and joy in their local communities, with Shields of Donaghadee being awarded first place.
The funeral directors decided to send a star to each family under their care who had lost someone in the last 12 months so they could write on it the names of their loved ones and hang it on the funeral home’s Christmas tree in remembrance.
Pupils and their families from Donaghadee Primary School, St Anne’s Primary School, Ballyvester Primary School and Killard House School decided to donate around 150 gifts towards Mullaghboy Nursing Home, Northfield House and Edgewater Lodge after seeing Shields of Donaghadee’s appeal in the window display.
Marketing Manager Beverley Brown said: “We received some incredible entries for our window display competition which made it really hard to choose, but Shields of Donaghadee is a well-deserved winner.
“It’s a testament to not only the creativity of our funeral teams but also their drive to brighten up their local communities with the theme of hope and joy while many families who have lost loved ones struggle this Christmas.
“It’s always uplifting to see our funeral homes going the extra mile, and we look forward to continuing to support local communities through a range of initiatives in the new year.”
Season’s greetings from all at Shields of Donaghadee, wishing you hope and joy for the new year.
