Festive elves help raise a smile
ELVES have sprinkled Christmas joy around their neighbourhoods throughout December in support of people who may be struggling with their mental health this festive season.
Roxy McCarthy and Rebecca Broadley, both from Oswaldtwistle, have been putting smiles on faces in supermarket aisles, petrol stations and even a dentist’s surgery as they go about their daily lives as elves.
The colleagues at Accrington’s Studio Retail were inspired by their firm’s charity committee fundraising and Lancashire Mind’s Mental Elf fitness initiative.
They wanted to raise awareness of mental health - especially poignant at this time of year when people may be contending with loneliness, bereavement or financial problems deepened by the pandemic.
Both have also been touched in their own way by loss this year, with Roxy hit by the death of her friend Jess Leanne Norris during lockdown following mental health struggles, and Rebecca suffering from low mood and feelings of isolation after her summer wedding had to be postponed due to Covid.
Roxy, from Rhoden Road, has been raising awareness all month and plans to end her campaign on Christmas Day.
She has even bought an elf onesie enabling her to stay in character as long as possible.
She said: “The main reason I put my heart and soul into it was my friend died during the lockdown following mental health struggles.
“She was an advocate of mental health herself. She was beautiful, talented and had her whole life in front of her. She was 28 too.
“It’s been my main driver to raise awareness. It creates conversations as they ask why you have dressed as an elf.
“People need that bit of a pick-me-up and hopefully it can help somebody out there.”
She added: “People weren’t surprised that I was an elf, but were surprised that I committed to it for such a long time.
“I’ve been to the dentist, and he said he had never seen an elf in his dentist’s chair.
“The receptionist was overjoyed!
“Spreading the awareness message has been way more important than raising the money.”
Roxy, 28, lives with her mum Caroline, and has a boyfriend Marcus, and grandma Joan who she describes as her “biggest cheerleader in life.”
She also looks after her beloved horse Norma, with whom she has been out and about around Accrington, Rishton and
Oswaldtwistle.
She says Norma had been a “main motivation” during recent months.
“If I didn’t have my horse to get up for it I don’t know what I could do,” she said.
“I ride her pretty much every day. She did ‘ get festive’ on Sunday and when I walked down the street I had kids pointing at me!
“But I am lucky that I’ve still got my horse and a good job to go to.
“There are people who might not necessarily have something to get up for.
“I’ve had some nice messages from people I’ve not spoken to for years saying ‘thanks for making my day, thanks for making me smile, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen an elf carrying horse feed’!
Rebecca, who dressed as an elf for the first 12 days of December, says it’s inspired her to do more to raise awareness.
“Mental health has always been something quite close to me and my family, and this last year more than anything,” she said. “It’s something you don’t know much about until you experience it yourself.
“Since I started doing it people have started explaining to me about themselves and feeling that they can speak to somebody. That’s the whole point.
“I’m not exactly a confident person - I’m very shy and I was extremely out of my comfort zone.
“On my first day I went for a walk in the dark with Roxy, but just doing it the once pushed me to carry on doing it. I did a lot of it in my home making little silly videos and walking around Oswaldtwistle and the supermarket.
“I got some strange looks, but I have had a positive reaction.” Rebecca, 29, said she went through “a rough patch” around August to September after Covid scuppered her and fiance Scott Cartmell’s wedding dreams.
They are hopeful they will tie the knot next April.
She added: “What hit me the most was the announcement of tiers and Lancashire being in tier 3.
“That was a final kick in the stomach. Scott has been absolutely fantastic at supporting me.
“I would like to thank everybody who has supported me; we have done a lot better than I expected.”
The Studio Retail appeal, promoted via social media channels, has already raised more than £1,700.
Rebecca and Roxy have thanked the charity committee for their efforts, which includes Barbara Fenton, Rachel Barnes, Carol Brown, Caroline McCardle, Donna Blackburn, Collette King and Vikki Quarmby.
You can donate to their appeal by visiting justgiving.com and searching for ‘Studio’s Elf Yourself Active’.