Our Volunteering and Outreach Team are sending a heartfelt thank you, to everyone who has contributed to their successful festive campaign for 2024. The support of staff and student volunteers across three projects, Festive Food Drive, Festive Crafts and The Christmas Card Appeal, has enabled us to positively engage with 47 charities and organisations this Christmas.
Festive Food Drive
Throughout November, staff, students and community groups contributed food donations, to the annual Festive Food Drive, with the total collection weighing in at 1,233.07kg. Staff and Students from the sports centre at Queen's Campus, Stockton, collected 217kg of donations alone. To put this achievement into context, this is the approximate weight of a Mini Cooper car!
In December, 25 staff and student volunteers, as well as 5 volunteers from building contractors Bowmer and Kirkland, weighed, checked and sorted the donations. Packages were then sent out for delivery to families supported by the Trussell Trust (foodbank), Feeding Families and A Way Out. These generous donations will allow the charities to make up food packs for 1,300 meals.
We would especially like to thank Durham Women's Football Club, Park Run and Coxhoe United Football Team (Lioness Pinks) who all fully supported this drive by hosting collections.
Christmas Card Appeal
Building on the success of last year's Christmas Card Appeal, which collected over 200 cards for delivery to residents of local care homes, the scheme was opened to departments and colleges. This year over 1,000 Christmas cards were written and delivered to 22 care homes. The care homes were incredibly grateful for these kind and thoughtful gestures.
Festive Crafts
Our Volunteers also supported local charities with their Christmas crafts and gift making projects, helping to make 1,300 bags of reindeer dust and 1,700 festive lollipops. These will be distributed by many of our charity partners including:
- St Cuthbert's Hospice
- Tiny Lives Trust
- Willowburn Hospice
- St Oswald's Hospice
- Pittington Community Association
- Beyond Limits
- Durham Wildlife Trust
- Durham Area Youth
- Durham Gilesgate Primary School PTFA
- Friends of Laurel Avenue Society
- Groundwork NE & Cumbria - Land of Oak & Iron Heritage Centre
- Feeding Families
- Stray Aid
- Friends of Durham Cathedral
- Friends of Wharton Park
- If U Care Share
- Durham Area Disability Leisure Group
- TCR Hub
- Burnside Academy
- Durham City of Sanctuary
