Christmas preparations are taking a creative turn at Guild House and across Gloucester Charities Trust, as residents, Kimbrose members and staff come together to make miniature paper houses for this year’s Christmas Tree Festival at St Laurence Church in Stroud.
The paper houses are representations of familiar GCT buildings, ready to be assembled into decorations for our festival tree. Teams at Magdalen House, The Kimbrose Club and our sheltered housing schemes have been invited to get involved, bringing together contributions from across our communities.
There’s something particularly fitting about decorating our tree with little houses. Providing homes, care and places where people feel welcome is at the heart of what we do. These paper creations offer a lovely way to celebrate that shared sense of belonging.
Sabine Berry has been helping to get the project under way by distributing the templates, even trying out an assembly herself. With the first house successfully built, preparations are now gathering pace!
The project offers an opportunity to enjoy some creative time together, share skills and contribute to a display that everyone involved can feel proud of. Each finished house will become part of something bigger, reflecting the collective effort behind our tree.
The Christmas Tree Festival runs from 27 November to 5 December 2026, bringing together more than 100 trees from charities, organisations and businesses across the Stroud district. We’re also planning a group bus trip so participants can see their handiwork on display and enjoy the other decorated trees.
After the festival, our tree will return to GCT, where it can continue to be enjoyed as a reminder of everyone’s creativity and contribution.
We look forward to sharing photographs as our little neighbourhood takes shape!
Fancy making a little house of your own? Click the link below to download the templates and have a go yourself. We’d love to see your finished creations!
