St Andrews Community Council laid on a Christmas party to remember for the town’s senior citizens at the weekend, despite a power cut threatening its cancellation.
When community council volunteers arrived at the Town Hall to start setting up for the party on Friday afternoon, they discovered a power cut had left the venue without heat or light.
Faced with calling off the annual treat for over 150 St Andrews senior citizens at the last minute, community council chairman Kyffin Roberts made a desperate plea to the university for help.
Within minutes, the university had opened up its dining hall, Lower College Hall, and an army of volunteers led by Kyff began moving the party, guests, food and entertainment across town.
Staff from the university’s hospitality and janitorial teams cleared their schedules, helped the community council team to set up tables and decorations and opened the kitchens to serve hot food.
Student volunteers turned up to help out, along with pupils from Madras, serving tea and coffee to the guests.
Mr Roberts said: ”The community council members had spent two hours setting up the Town Hall when the power cut struck. I called the university, little thinking it would be able to help at such short notice but 15 minutes later I received a call back saying we could have the lunch at Lower College Hall.
”Madras pupils, students and the university staff have all shown real Christmas spirit in volunteering to make sure the senior citizens’ Christmas lunch could go ahead. The community council is extremely grateful to everyone who helped make sure we didn’t have to cancel this annual tradition which goes back decades.”
Roger Smith, director of residential and business services at the university, added: ”We really appreciate all the staff and students, and pupils from Madras College, who volunteered to give up their time to help.”
The community council fundraises throughout the year to give a free festive lunch to senior citizens in the Town Hall.
The entertainment included a choir, singing, a raffle and a Michael Buble impersonation from the university’s director of estates John Maguire.
Meg Platt, a student who serves on the community council, said: ”I’m really grateful we were able to relocate here and that the event has gone ahead, even though the change was so last minute.”
And Patrick O’Hare, student association president, said: ”I’m delighted that the University of St Andrews could step in at the last minute to help out the community council.
”We had a record number of student volunteers over 30 who responded to the student association’s call for help.”