Sparkly lights illuminating his wheelchair, Ean Watt is proud to be one of Santa’s north-east elves brightening up the lives of children with life-limiting conditions and their families.
“It’s nice for the kids who are in wheelchairs or have disabilities to see an elf in a wheelchair that’s all lit up and covered in tinsel,” says Ean.
Caring, compassionate and incredibly hardworking, Ean is just one of many elves who have got off their shelves this Christmas to support Charlie House, the Aberdeen-based children’s charity supporting babies, children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions.
From their glittering workshop in the Bon Accord Centre, Santa and his elves are welcoming little boys and girls to their magical winter wonderland while at the same time raising money for the charity.
In a glistening world exclusive, Santa and his elves invited us for a behind the scenes tour of his magical winter wonderland.
And as if that wasn’t enough, they also let me be an elf for the day so I can find out more about their incredible charity work.
Elf Ean
Known as the mischievous elf, Ean loves having a laugh and joke with the children who visit Santa’s workshop.
“The other elves call me the cheeky elf,” he chuckles.
“I also enjoy chatting to everyone who visits Santa’s workshop.”
Forced to give up his job at the age of 20 due to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a rare and crippling connective tissue condition, Ean says volunteering as an elf has been an amazing experience.
“I’ve had pains all my life and then I fell, and then a couple of years later my joints stopped working as I have joint hypermobility and chronic pain,” says Ean.
“Volunteering as an elf is great as it gets me out the house and gives me structure.
“So I help out on a Saturday and Sunday and then I rest during the week to keep my own health up and to stop me burning myself out.”
Relaxed sessions are designed to be accessible for any children that may have additional needs and sensitivity to light and noise
Ean was particularly looking forward to meeting the children and families supported by Charlie House when they visit for a special relaxed experience.
“It’s nice for the kids who are in wheelchairs or have disabilities to see an elf in a wheelchair that’s all lit up and covered in tinsel,” he says.
Elf Clare
Gentle, warm and caring, Elf Clare Davidson is a calming presence amidst the organised chaos of Santa’s workshop.
Bringing the magic alive for the little ones as she guides them through the winter wonderland, she loves nothing more than seeing the faces of local children light up when they visit Santa’s workshop.
But to know that the workshop is supporting children with life-limiting conditions and their families is what really makes the 63-year-old’s heart sing.
“Charlie House is such an amazing charity,” says Elf Clare.
“My role as an elf is to help raise money for the charity but to also to raise awareness of the support that is there for families.”
Softly spoken, Elf Clare captures the spirit of Christmas beautifully as she shares festive anecdotes with the children.
“Being an elf is a huge responsibility but it’s also really rewarding,” says Elf Clare.
“It doesn’t matter how you feel as the moment the children start arriving you get right into the spirit of it.
“My favourite part of elfing is interacting with the children.
“Seeing the children’s faces light up makes you feel the spirit of Christmas.”
On the rare occasion that Elf Clare gets some time off, she uses it to help the charity with their admin.
Santa’s stand-in
With the workshop being a gruelling 24-hour operation ahead of December 25, even Santa sometimes needs a rest and some well-earned mince pies.
And that’s where Ralph Skene comes in.
To give Santa a break, the 81-year-old from Aberdeen kindly steps in to help out.
“Representing Santa Claus is a privilege because he brings so much joy and happiness into children’s lives,” says Ralph.
“Santa is a good old chap as he works so hard to fulfil children’s wishes.”
Santa Ralph also loves helping raise money for Charlie House.
“I wanted to give something back and it gives me some pride to know that I’m helping others and I’m blessed and thankful that I’m able to do that,” he says.
“Other people volunteer for a variety of reasons, for example for some it might offer them the opportunity to develop new skills or learn more about the charity they have chosen to support.
“I would say that the role of a volunteer can also help identify that there is nothing more fulfilling than realising how much of an impact a volunteer can make whether it’s a single or team effort, either way it gives you a sense of purpose and usefulness by working towards a common good.”
Elf Maria
As bright as the glitter shimmering across her cheeks, Elf Maria Oszoli leaves the children who visit Santa’s workshop mesmerised.
One of the hardest-working elves you can find, Maria not only helps out at Santa’s workshop but she also works in Costa Coffee and is studying towards a Masters in Psychology at Robert Gordon University.
“Working in Costa Coffee in the Bon Accord Centre, I had always spotted the Santa’s workshop and wanted to volunteer but I just didn’t have the time,” says Elf Maria, who is originally from Hungary.
“But this year I had a bit more time so I went for it.
“I was also inspired by the actress Emilia Clarke who plays an elf in the film Last Christmas.”
Elf Maria is also going to be at the special quiet session for the families who are supported by Charlie House.
“I think it’s important to support those families and kids,” says Elf Maria.
Santa stand-in number two
Proud to be one of Santa’s representatives, Steve Davidson is only too happy to give Santa a break when he needs it.
Married to Elf Clare, Steve is equally devoted to the workshop and to giving children the most wonderful experience.
“It’s great as you feel like you’re making a difference,” says Steve, 60.
One of the most heart-warming encounters Steve has had at the workshop was when a little girl with autism visited.
“This nine-year-old girl came in and her guardian told me that she was autistic,” says Steve.
“She sat and talked to me for ages and her guardian said it was the most she had talked in ages and it just made her day.
“We actually got a really good review on Facebook as they said it was fantastic and talked about how engaged she was.
“It makes a big difference.”
Santa Steve says there’s also a fair few comical moments in the workshop.
“I asked one little boy what his favourite animal was in the winter wonderland and he told me the dinosaur,” laughs Steve.
Elf Rosie
When Santa and his special Charlie House elves invited me to volunteer for the day, I jumped – Will Ferrell style – at the chance.
Donning my distinctive red and green outfit and adding a few extra elf accessories – think jingly hair bobbles, red shiny elf shoes and stripy tights – I felt more than ready to get to work.
Feeling a little star struck after coming face to face with Santa, I joined my friendly fellow elves and made my way into the magical winter wonderland to greet excited families as they arrived.
From tiny babies and toddlers to teenagers, people of all ages were left dazzled when I walked them through the enchanted forest to Santa’s workshop.
Seeing the little ones’ faces light up when they met Santa was very special.
Some tiny tots were a bit overwhelmed but with some gentle coaxing they left with a present and a big smile on their faces.
One particular experience that left a big lump in my throat was when a disabled older lady visited the workshop.
Grinning from ear-to-ear, the lady beamed with joy when Santa let her sit in his seat.
Briefly stopping for a chocolate and coffee fix – yes elves aren’t that different from you and me – it wasn’t long before we were back welcoming more visitors.
With families arriving every eight minutes or so it was all hands on deck as queues quickly formed.
As well as walking families through the winter wonderland, I was also in charge of capturing their special moment on camera – no pressure then.
Luckily, my elf photography skills went without a hitch as families were able to take home magical memories of their experience in photo form or as a keyring or inside a snow globe.
Seeing the children and families leave the workshop with huge smiles on their faces was heart-warming.
And knowing that all the money raised is going to Charlie House to support children and families who need it most in our community only adds to that feel-good feeling.
There really is nothing quite as a rewarding as giving up your time for charity, so I would urge everyone to give it a go.
Santa’s Workshop is upstairs in the Bon Accord Centre in Aberdeen and is open every weekend this month and for the full week leading up to Christmas Day. Tickets cost £7.99 per child and include a gift.
For more information about Charlie House check out their website www.charliehouse.org.uk/ or Facebook page @CharlieHouse and Instagram.
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