Full freedom is on the horizon and we have all been enjoying our first week of being able to meet indoors – thanks to England moving to Step 3 of the roadmap out of lockdown.
Here at CODE, we relished the opportunity to be able to host in-person social events at both Coventry and Leicester.
With the ‘rule of 6’ in play (meaning you can meet in groups of 6 indoors), we were able to host two great social events.
It meant our residents could finally socialise with their neighbours in a Covid- secure way. We could also finally open up our communal spaces again, and the Cafe in Leicester was able to welcome diners back, in groups of up to 6, after months of only being able to offer takeaways.
At Coventry, we offered our first ‘in person’ fitness sessions in the form of Yoga on Monday night. Speaking before the class, instructor Lily Cooke said: “I’m so excited to create a vibe and actually feel a bit of energy back because obviously through the screen I can’t tell how you are all receiving the class. I’m just excited to see you all!”
While residents who booked to attend our sip, paint & repeat social could put their creative skills to the test. And many were able to paint a masterpiece for their studios or as a gift for friend or family! It was great for students to meet other residents, make new friends and have fun at the same time.
“Today I came down to take part in the paints sip and repeat event. It was really fun and exciting! Such a great event. Can’t wait for there to be more!!” – Lukxshana, tenant at CODE Coventry.
In Leicester, our CODE Café ran a pizza making night, which was a complete sell out. Residents came to make a tasty dinner, with toppings of their choice, as well as socialising with their friends and other residents.
CODE colleague Sharon, who helped to host the night said: “It was really strange to actually be serving people and at first people were a little quiet. But after a while everyone remembered how great it is to be able to do things in person again and seeing the smiles on the students’ faces was just so good.
“At CODE, we really pride ourselves on being able to host great events for our students, so we were extra pleased we could finally get back to what everyone loves.”
The Events team are not being complacent, and Covid safety measures were still in place. But the hope is to be able to host more fun events for our residents as restrictions continue to ease.
