The Hamlet Foundation celebrates Christmas in July

The Hamlet Foundation in Regents Park held a “Christmas in July” fundraiser on 25 July.

The Hamlet Foundation is an NGO that has grown and developed into a network of full-fledged NGOs that today includes a school for 270 mentally disabled children, residential homes for 60 mentally disabled adults, and a sheltered workshop for 200 mentally disabled adult workers.

The aim of the fundraiser was to give people who no longer have a family the opportunity to enjoy Christmas in July, since the other residents of the foundation are away in December.

Fhumulani Nefumbadtha, social worker at Hamlet Foundation, spoke about why this event is important for the residents.

“There are people who live here permanently and unfortunately do not have family to celebrate Christmas with. This event allows everyone to be there and experience the joys of Christmas,” said Fhumulani.

The event also raised funds for the foundation to renovate its premises and maintain the dormitories where its residents live.

“Proceeds from the event will go towards maintaining the buildings we use and purchasing new bedding for our residents,” she continued.

Hamlet's chairman Les Griffin felt the need to hold this event to bring joy to the residents.

“We needed to bring some Christmas spirit to the foundation so that our students, residents and staff could experience the beauty of the city together. We also need the funds to maintain the premises and ensure that residents have the best possible living conditions,” said Les.