YOUNG people brought the spirit of Christmas to life for seniors in Ashtead by carrying out a carol-singing tour of the village.
About a dozen members of Life, a youth group run by St Giles' and St George's parish, visited nursing homes and sheltered accommodation in the lead up to Christmas.
The tour was the idea of sixth-form student Lauren Chambers, 17, from Ashtead, who chose a selection of traditional carols and staged rehearsals before going out to sing.
"This is the first time we've ever done something like this," she said. "We want to do things for our community and when opportunities come up we like to take them up."
The group performed an outdoor concert in a square in front of Broadmead House on the evening of December 18, holding candles and singing songs like Jingle Bells, Silent Night and O Little Town of Bethlehem.
Youth director Grant Everson, who helped the youngsters organise the visit, thought the group's efforts were appreciated.
"It seemed to go down very well because we've been invited back," he said.
"At Lime Tree Court they said it was brilliant because our group singing carols really heralded in the festive season for them."
The group also visited Birdscroft Nursing Home earlier that day having previously performed at Lime Tree Court on December 11.
Home manager Rajiv Jos said the people in his care were delighted to see the carollers.
He said: "The residents were very pleased with it and actually I was really very happy to see the group coming in because we were looking for someone to come and do carols. Seeing as I have just started very recently it's been very difficult to get in touch with people to organise things like that."
The nursing home had organised its own Christmas celebrations but Mr Jos said it meant a lot to residents that members of the community were prepared to volunteer to come and sing for them.
"It is very important to create these sort of links with the community," he said. "We have been trying to find some way of getting around and getting in touch with the community because, at the end of the day, the residents come out of the community so that is the idea."
