Hi, I’m Yamin, one of the Sales Placements at ProspectSoft. Today I’ll be telling you about Christmas at ProspectSoft. ‘Tis is the season to be jolly at Prospect! We certainly embrace the festive activities. From exchanging Secret Santa gifts to decorating our office, to the Christmas party to give the best send-off to a great year. Christmas proved to be a delightful and joyous occasion for all of us in the office.

Secret Santa:

Secret Santa always brings an air of mystery, excitement, and friendly generosity. Here at ProspectSoft, our Secret Santa added some festivity and flare to our month. All the placements got involved and names were placed in a random draw, and we excitedly drew the names at the beginning of December to make sure we all had enough time to brainstorm ideas and buy the presents. From there we spent our time picking out a gift, often with a touch of humour, making each gift thoughtful and that much more special. We chose to exchange gifts on the day of the Christmas Party to add to the excitement of the day. All of the placement got together before we headed off to the venue and it was great fun opening the presents and seeing what we had all received and brought one another. It was such a laugh and many of us had gone for joke presents so this was fun to share with the others once we got to the Christmas Party!

Office transformation:

This year at the ProspectSoft office, we decided to decorate our office in a new and unique way. The busy festive schedule prevented us from purchasing a Christmas tree, so we decided to take matters into our own hands. Firstly, we were lost for ideas, how could we add a festive twist to our office? Scanning around the room we noticed the big blank whiteboard and the large box of coloured whiteboard pens. I picked up the green pen and outlined a large Christmas tree, covering the whole whiteboard. From here we all began adding our own decorations and colours to the 2D tree, of course with the background sound of the Top 50 Christmas Hits Playlist! Soon the tree was teeming with our own baubles, stars, reindeers, bells, wreaths, and angels. The masterpiece began creating a warm and inviting atmosphere that made each workday feel a bit more like a holiday celebration. The final touch was the dazzling North Star that Khaula expertly drew at the top of the tree. This year the ProspectSoft family created and decorated their own tree.

Exploring the Christmas Market:

In the middle of December, Oxford Science Park set up its own Christmas Market where they had a range of local businesses came in and set up stools selling their products. There was a range of businesses selling candles, brownies, paintings, jewellery and so much more. From artisanal crafts to yummy treats, the market offered a delightful Christmas twist on the day, allowing us to soak in the festive ambience and find unique gifts to give out to our family and friends. We even had a cheeky glass of mulled wine and a mince pie (or two)! The market also included a great Christmas playlist which added to the festive vibe, so we were able to dance our way around the stools.

Home for the Holidays:

Bringing the festive cheer home, team members shared their personal holiday decorating adventures. From twinkling lights on the rooftops to meticulously decorated Christmas trees, our homes became extensions of the joy we experienced in the office (just with a real 3D tree instead). Sharing glimpses of our holiday sanctuaries strengthened the bonds among colleagues, creating a sense of connection beyond the workplace.

Christmas Socials:

The Christmas party proved to be a really great time for us all to come together and celebrate such a festive time and wrap up a brilliant year. Issy, our Marketing Placement arranged and organised a night of fine dining and festive partying. All credit goes to her. We started the night with a dinner at Branca in Oxford City Centre, we sat at a long table and enjoyed a three-course Christmas meal of our choice. Once we had arrived, we all got ourselves a drink, took a couple of photos and pulled our Christmas crackers, this soon got everyone in the Christmas spirit as we shared our jokes and all put on our colourful party hats! Laughing and catching up with colleagues, we filled our bellies with such great food. I opted for the bruschetta starter, steak and chips main and sticky toffee pudding for dessert – it was incredible. This was all served alongside lots of wine and beer! Issy had also organised a buzzing evening of cocktails at a bar just down the road; we tried new and exotic cocktail drinks while exchanging our plans for the coming Christmas season with some music and our own area of the bar downstairs!

In conclusion, the holiday season at ProspectSoft was not just about wrapping up our work; it was a time to come together, share joy, and create lasting memories. As we bid farewell to 2023, the warmth of these celebrations will continue to resonate, and we will bring the same energy and compassion into the new year. Wishing everyone a joyful holiday season and a bright start to 2024!