Gresham’s annual gift campaign to support a local children’s centre has returned in style for 2022, and although the centre in Wythenshawe has now changed hands from Barnardo’s to a Family Action Sure Start Children’s Centre, the outreach team at the Centre continue to be grateful to supply us with a list of local families they believe are in most need of some extra help at Christmas time.
Family Action Sure Start Centres provide practical, emotional, and financial support to those who are experiencing poverty, disadvantage, and social isolation. This years’ list has seen our team buy for 24 children across 10 families, with ages ranging from 4 months to 10 years.
Our festive charity gift campaign started in 2014 with a relatively modest budget and has grown year on year alongside our expanding team, who all pull together like Santa’s elves, carefully selecting toys, books, games, and clothes suitable for each child and wrap them in a giant Christmas gift bag, ready for the big day.
This year our team kindly donated more than ever, with the fund topping £1,500, resulting in a bumper budget for not just children’s gifts, but also gifts for the parents, along with a family food parcel packed with essentials and some festive treats.
Alongside monetary donations, our team have also donated some pre-loved toys and books gifted from their own children. Once the Gresham elves work is done, all the gifts and food parcels will be delivered to the families by the outreach team at the Sure Start Children’s Centre in plenty of time for Christmas.
Jonathan Young, Director at Gresham, commented:
“This is the ninth year we’ve supported our local Children’s Centre and it’s a tradition we’re proud to uphold. For those families that are struggling with the costs of basics such as food and heating, the struggle will be felt, even more so, at Christmas time. This year more than ever, we hope the gifts and food parcels purchased will bring some cheer to these children and their families.”