Chocolate Gifts For Disadvantaged UK Kids - Xmas '24

EIGHTEEN food banks and community groups have already had varying amounts of festive treats to give to the kids of families who use their services - this is in addition to the EIGHT £500 grocery shops that you've supported as well!

After this point, any donations will be used in the New Year when this appeal reverts to supporting local organisations with regular grocery shops.

Over the last few months, your kindness has already led to EIGHT £500 grocery shops for UK food banks and community groups who have been struggling to keep their shelves stocked, and as we move towards Christmas I want to help them and possibly other organisations ensure that as many of their children as possible have some kind of festive chocolate to enjoy.

The story so far ...

The first £500 raised has been used to get some shopping for Friends of Isaac’s Food Bank CIC in Redditch - they are led by a kind and courageous 12-year-old called Isaac and his close family. 

The next £500 was used to get some shopping for Southend Storehouse in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.

The next £500 covered a grocery shop for Hopeworx who work in partnership with The MegaCentre Rayleigh in Essex.

Another £500 shop has been handed over to someone who works with Life Community Church in Ashingdon, Essex for community groups that they are involved with.

After that, the next £500 covered a grocery shop for the Happy Hub Food Bank in Basildon, Essex. 

And there has been another £500 food shop done for St Francis Community Pop Up Food Store in Chelmsford, Essex. They provide a vital service to local people without the need for a referral, providing a sizeable package of groceries and other items in return for a token amount.

After this, a £500 grocery shop went to Get The Kids Out, an organisation in Southend - they organise activity sessions and provide food parcels to local families in need.

After this, another £500 grocery shop went to 500 Suffolk Reasons who are based in Diss - these items supported local families via their own direct connections and also their links to a number of food banks.

The first £250 festive chocolate gift drop was to Friends of Isaac’s Food Bank CIC.

… and then the next £250 one was back to Hopeworx at MegaCentre Rayleigh once more.

After this, a £250 festive chocolate drop went to the food bank working out of the Happy Hub in Basildon.

And this was followed by £250 of chocolate gifts back at Get The Kids Out in Southend.

More recently, another £250 worth of festive stuff went to St. Francis Community Food Pop-Up Store in Chelmsford.

… and £250 of stuff went to someone who works with Life Community Church in Ashingdon, Essex.

£250 of chocolate gifty goodness went to Bobby's Big Heart on Canvey Island.

... and another £250-ish bundle went to 500 Suffolk Reasons who support their own clients and other food banks in Suffolk.

Next, another £250 worth or so went to Southend Communities Outreach Group (SCOG).

After this, £250 worth went to Growbaby Chelmsford who work with a large number of local families and therefore children of all ages.

Also, £250 worth has gone to Homeless Help In Basildon - this group works with a number of different organisations that in turn help children in the area and their parents.

In a final push, varying amounts of chocolate and sweet gifts went to Macclesfield Children and Baby Library, Witham URC Baby Bank, Free Food In Haverhill, Southend Storehouse, The Whittingham Experience, various Women’s Refuges in Essex, and Newquay Foodbank.

Thanks for all of your donations and shares! Photos are in the updates below.

Simon

My Facebook

Updates about how donations are used will be available right here, as well as on this spreadsheet.