Families with seriously ill children were treated to a free VIP event by staff at Clacton Pier.
The owners and team at the attraction staged the evening of fun to bring a vital boost to the lives of their guests.
It was the second year that the pier had taken part the initiative in collaboration with national charity Rays of Sunshine.
The youngsters had the use of the soft play area, adventure golf, dodgems, Santa’s Grotto, video games and the amusement arcade. There was also a craft space, face painting and a buffet which was supported by a number of the pier’s suppliers.
Pier mascot Sidney the Seagull was also on hand in his festive outfit.
Families travelled from as far afield as Ascot for the event which was part of Rays of Sunshine’s 12 days of Wishmas campaign, hosting a dozen free events across the UK.
Trudi Everett who took her daughter Hope, 18, to the pier said they had a wonderful time and the whole party was a joy.
“All the staff were so friendly, and catered for our every need; soft play was fun, dodgems exciting, face painting and crafts enjoyed,” she added. “And there was a good variety of foods for my daughter who is gluten free.”
The pier has also worked with Rays of Sunshine in 2016 and 2018.
Jenny Porter, Head of Events at the charity said: “Like all our community events, the 12 Days of Wishmas aims to bring wish families together, so they can meet others who have faced similar experiences with a serious illness, and most importantly, have some festive fun!
“Our event held with the team at Clacton Pier has become such a favourite for our families, who love having the run of such a fun-filled place. There is something for every one of our young people to enjoy.
“Thank you to everyone at Clacton Pier, especially to the team who gave up their time voluntarily to support us on the night, and all the partners involved who helped us to provide a magical event for so many families.”
Communications Manager Nigel Brown said the attraction is proud to be involved with Rays of Sunshine and around 30 staff turned up to help.
“It was great to see our guests having so much fun,” he added. “But in truth our team enjoyed themselves just as much and it was an evening which meant a lot to all of us.”
Bookers in Clacton and Websters Foods of Kirby Cross donated towards the evening and ETP – Events Photo Team, the pier’s photography providers – donated photos for all the families.
