Spreading some festive cheer!

We understand Christmas can be a difficult time of year for the vulnerable people in our communities.

To spread some festive cheer and help put a smile on children’s faces, we donated toys, gifts, and toiletries for 48 care leavers aged 16-19, plus 20 babies in Redcar, 44 vulnerable children in Newcastle, and 28 children in residential care in County Durham.

To help people who are isolated or vulnerable, we organised:

• Bowling sessions at the Dunes, South Shields, for 48 children in South Tyneside as part of the Holiday Activity Food (HAF) project
• Gift cards for 20 young people living in the YMCA Hostel, North Shields
• Gift bags for 40 vulnerable adults in Sunderland
• Christmas treats for 108 senior citizens in Sherburn
• 17 attendees of the Happy Wanderers luncheon club in Chester-Le-Street

The UK’s food banks are a lifeline, especially at Christmas time. Advent calendars, mince pies, tinned fruit, juice, and cereal are the most needed items. We organised a collection to support struggling families during the festive period.

We wish everybody a safe, peaceful Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.