8 December 2020

Soft Cell’s Marc Almond, presenters Ant and Dec and Kermit the Frog head a list of celebs set to celebrate Christmas with CNWL staff during a virtual party.

They have joined with Toyah Willcox; Matt Lucas; Griff Rhys-Jones; T’Pau’s Carol Decker; singer Mari Wilson, actor Sylvester McCoy; actresses Crissy Rock and Tina Malone; TV presenters Sabrina Grant and Pat Sharpe; former Big Brother winner Pete Bennett; American drag act Chad Michaels; Australian comic Pam Ann, and former England Rugby Union international Peter Dixon, in sending in video messages of thanks, support and encouragement for CNWL’s Offender Care Directorate virtual Christmas Party.

These will be played at various points of the party wishing staff a Happy Christmas and thanking them for their work during a harder than usual year because of Covid.

The celebs' Christmas video messages will be joining with messages from CNWL Chief Executive Claire Murdoch; CNWL’s Chief Nurse, Maria O’Brien; Kate Davies, NHS England’s Director of Health & Justice, Armed Forces and Sexual Assault Services Commissioning; Andrew Wadley, Detective Superintendent Head of Criminal Investigations SW and the Directorate’s Managing Director Jane Hannon.

The evening event, on 10 December, will also include exclusive performances from Alice Fearne, the West End Lead in “Wicked”, the London Gay Men’s Chorus, punk band The Flixx, X Factor competitor Ross Alexander, and The McCarricks.

Katherine Rhodes from The Magic Circle will provide a Live Steam Magic Show, while there will also be bingo and an awards presentation.

There will be prize draws, spot prizes, a prize for the most festive dress, bingo and prizes for the “Golden Stars” - picked by each regional operations manager and the service director.

Prizes include pedicures, hairdressing, afternoon tea, a bungee jump, a cosmetics voucher, micro dermabrasion facial, celebrity signed items as well as Zoom 1-2-1 PT sessions and Zoom 1-2-1 “Catch Up” Teaching Sessions in KS2/3/4 Maths or English.

Lloyd Kristian, Regional Operations Manager – Surrey Prisons, who organised the event said: “In the absence this year of team get togethers at the end of the year due to ongoing government restrictions we didn’t want staff to miss out on a chance to come together to have some fun and take a moment to reflect of how much they have achieved this year.

“In the spirt of the “new world” I decided the appropriate response as a Senior Management Team was to host an online End of Year Celebration and so I pulled in some favours, including from my daughter who’s helped put a video montage together.

“I’d also like to thank the many who have donated the many generous prizes we’ve received.”