CHRISTMAS parties for dementia sufferers in the Wellington area were cancelled this week after Reminiscence Learning suffered a triple blow of mishaps.

The charity’s Tonedale premises lost their water due to frozen pipes on Friday, the electricity supply failed on Monday and Tuesday, and then blockages put the toilets out of action on Wednesday.

Chief executive Fiona Mahoney said it meant that Christmas parties planned for clients on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday all had to be cancelled and the premises closed until the New Year.

Ms Mahoney said: “It was a shame because we had our Christmas parties all sorted for our clients and we had to cancel because we could not cook in the kitchen.

“It is sad for them, and also before Christmas a lot of the carers are relying on that little bit of respite.

“Hopefully, people will have a nice time with their families over Christmas, which is what I think they need. We close over Christmas and the New Year because most people are with their families and they do not need us.”Ms Mahoney added: “The carers’ group Zoom meetings are still being held and people do know how to get hold of us if there is an emergency.”

A ‘Funday Friday’ event was still going ahead today (Friday) in the Rockwell Green Christian Fellowship.

Ms Mahoney said the series of misfortunes also impacted financially on the charity, which is about to start its 20th anniversary in the New Year,

She said: “We lose revenue from it and we cannot afford to be buying a lot of food and wasting it.

“We had turkey and mince pies coming out of our ears. We did not know when we going to get our electric back.”

Ms Mahoney said the toilets had since been unblocked and the electricity supply repaired, so the charity would be able to reopen on January 3, which marked the start of its 20th anniversary when it hoped to raise £20,000 from fund-raising throughout the year.

The anniversary appeal was launched at a Somerset Ladies in Business event held in Taunton and Pickeridge Golf Club.

The first big fund-raising event will be a 12-hour danceathon in Wellington Rugby Club, where Reminiscence Learning is looking for teams to take part.