"It's like spending Christmas with your second family"

Because for key workers and those on the front line of the emergency services, Christmas Day is just another working day to take care of those who need them the most.

Take a firefighter for example - one minute you could be tucking into a delicious turkey dinner, and the next sprinting out of the door to an emergency, life-threatening situation.

Steve Dearden has been a retained firefighter for Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue in Alford for ten years, and each year two crews take turns to work shifts over the Christmas period - this year is Steve’s turn to be on-call over the festive season.

He said: “This year we weren’t seeing any family due to the coronavirus, we’re trying to keep to the rules.

“It’s a strange thing to be on-call because when you’re new to the service you start knowing that you could be called out at a moment’s notice and you’re always on tenterhooks, but once it becomes familiar its almost like second nature.”

Luckily, Steve hasn’t had any big emergencies to respond to during his years of working over the Christmas period, but said that new year tends to be busier.

“I remember I responded to a fatal road traffic collision on New Year’s Day one year.

“When that happens and you’ve just been spending time with your family, and then you respond to another family that’s going through the worst time of their lives that can really hit home and while you try not to, you can put yourself in their position.”

Steve also works a full-time job as a housing officer, and said that as a retained firefighter, the team always helps each other out if they have important meetings that they can’t miss.

“We all support each other and that’s really important when you’re a retained firefighter - you need to have a good support network around you and we take care of each other.”

Could you be a retained firefighter?

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue are looking for more On-Call firefighters at stations across the county.

If you live or work within five minutes of a fire station and are over 18, this could be a great opportunity for you, with shifts available to fit around other work or family commitments.

For more information visit https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/lfr or call our recruitment team on 0800 3580 204

And then for police officers, there is still crime to solve and care to give to victims.

PCSO Nigel Wass, of the Horncastle Neighbourhood Policing Team, gives us an insight as to how a typical Christmas Day may pan out for the police officers working the festive period.

"Last year they had a house fire and two serious road traffic collisions withing the space of two hours to deal with, as well as 27 incidents which were mostly drunken family disputes and domestic incidents," he said.

"This year we're expecting a lot of phone calls from people reporting their neighbours breaking Covid-19 social distancing restrictions or having too many people in their homes.

"It can be an interesting time to work, and certainly one of the most challenging as many officers will be at home with their families, and it can be a difficult day to work but also one of the most rewarding."

For residents living in care homes, there are still meals to be prepared, care to be administered and work to be done for the owners and staff.

Ashdene Care Home in Sleaford, owned by Michael and Jilly Hunt, always make a special effort as for the residents the facility is their home, not that they are in their workplace.

Zorinda Hawkins has been a carer at Ashdene for five years and volunteers to work on Christmas Day most years.

She said: “We want to make the residents as happy as possible, we have Christmas music and drinks are flowing, for me it's just like being at home with your relatives.”

Jilly said: “We try to make it as homely as possible, the residents are in our home, not in our workplace.

“People want to go the extra mile to make sure everyone has a lovely time, and we make sure all the staff have lots of treats too and we have Christmas songs playing so we can all have a good singalong.

“Some of the staff say it's very emotional working at Christmas, watching the residents open their cards and presents and being able to share that moment makes it all worthwhile.

“I’m so lucky to have such an amazing team, they really go the extra mile for our residents.”

The feeling of being with their work family is also what drives the team on the maternity ward at Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital, according to the matron of the ward.

Georgina Gould worked over Christmas last year, and will be working Christmas Eve this year.

She said: “In our unit, it's a very close-knit team so if we’re not at home with our actual family, then you’re at work with your work family and it’s a really happy place to be.

“We try to make it as lovely as possible for the staff and for the women.”

No-one wants to be in hospital over Christmas, even for something as joyous as the birth of a baby, but Georgina and her team always make sure the new parents and babies are given little Christmas gifts.

“We’ve had lots of knitted things made by local groups, the Heckington Knitters do a lot for us making little hats and cardigans,” she explained.

“Last year we measured how long the Christmas babies were with a piece of ribbon and then put it in a bauble with a lovely poem inside.”

All the team try to make the experience as special as possible for the women in labour and Georgina said they just try to make it a happy place to be.

“For me working over Christmas is lovely because we look after each other because a lot can happen here, and you feel really cared for because we’re such a close family here,” she added.

“Being here with our second family is a great place to be and being able to be with a new mum and dad with their new baby, it’s such a special place to be.”

For members of the clergy, Christmas is one of the busiest times of year with more people attending Christmas services, and sometimes vicars and priests are often delivering multiple services within hours of each other.

Rev Chris Harrington is the Rector of the Heckington & Helpringham Group of Anglican Churches, which boasts a whopping eight churches.

At the time of going to press, Lincolnshire remains in Tier 3, so just three churches in the group are planning to hold Christmas Day services this year to keep their parishioners safe, which is less rushing around for Rev Chris.

For those churches missing out, Rev Chris has been recording a service at the Rectory each week that goes out on Heckington Living Community Radio each Sunday at 11am, and he will be recording special services for Christmas Day and New Year’s Day at 11am.

Rev Chris added: “Sorry to all those who may be disappointed, but better safe at Christmas than sorry in the New Year.”

For those who find themselves homeless, Christmas Day is sadly, just another day of uncertainty, and it’s the job of those who run shelters, homeless charities and soup kitchens to keep their services going over the festive period.

The Nomad Centre, part of YMCA Lincolnshire, try to make this time of year as special and supportive as possible for those who stay with them.

Danielle and Hayley, caseworkers at the Nomad Centre, said: “On Christmas Eve we will do something special with our residents, maybe a movie or games night with festive treats and hot chocolate, often donated by supporters of the charity.

“Then on Christmas Day we share a Christmas meal with residents and spend time playing games, watching classic Christmas movies and enjoying each other’s company.

“Residents are also provided with a small festive gift, provided and wrapped by members of the local community, to bring comfort in the true meaning of Christmas and let people know they are not forgotten.”

Working over Christmas and not being with your family isn’t easy, but at YMCA Lincolnshire those who are working make arrangements to have a ‘second Christmas’ at home with our loved ones.

“As with most people, working over this period our personal festivities start when we get home at the end of a shift. Switching off from the day can be hard, and our residents are never far from our thoughts,” said Danielle and Hayley.

“For some people in our accommodation it is not necessarily a positive time, many feel sadness and loneliness. Working over Christmas we are always mindful of the mixed emotions of the people around us and ensure there is always support available to anyone who needs it.

“For me, this is a time I am reminded of how grateful I am for the people I have in my life and a reminder to never take them for granted.