The gifts, which have been donated by staff and suppliers of housing provider Incommunities, will go to those most in need this Christmas.
Nick Warden, Head of Assets at Incommunities, has led the charge in rallying suppliers to contribute to this worthy cause.
He said: “Our suppliers have been great. I just made them aware of the appeal, and they dug deep, arriving with sackloads of presents for our customers in need.”
More than 200 gifts were donated to the shoebox appeal, and they’ve already started to make their way to deserving recipients. Colleagues from Incommunities nominated customers who they felt would benefit most from the surprise presents.
Emma Warden, from the Money Matters support team at Incommunities, explained: “We have so many customers who don’t have the support of family and friends, and this time of year can be really difficult for them. Many are struggling financially, so Christmas gifts are just not in their budget.”
“Everyone deserves a little bit of happiness at Christmas. We hope that our gifts will bring that little bit of cheer.”
Nick and Emma, along with colleagues from Incommunities, are spending the next few days travelling around the district to hand out the generous gifts, spreading joy and festive cheer.
The Christmas spirit at Incommunities doesn’t stop there. Instead of sending festive cards, colleagues from the housing provider have chosen Andy’s Man Club as their charity of the year.
Andy’s Man Club, which has four groups across Bradford, will now benefit from a £2,000 donation to support their ongoing work.
Andy’s Man Club, a men’s suicide prevention charity founded in Halifax, offers free-to-attend peer-to-peer support groups across the United Kingdom and online. The charity aims to end the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and help men through the power of conversation.
Andy Bampton from the charity, expressed his gratitude, saying: “This donation is very much appreciated by us all at Andy’s Man Club. We couldn’t do what we do without support from people like the team at Incommunities.”