We love how our Christmas tree charity appeal brings families back to see us every year, especially since it helps us to make a difference in the communities we serve – by donating the proceeds to five local food.
This year, thanks again to another festive bumper turnout at our offices last month, we have given £2,500 to five organisations serving communities in Eastwood, Kimberley, Selston, Stapleford, Heanor and Brinsley.
Our appeal consists of inviting families to leave a message of remembrance the branches of Christmas trees installed at each of our five offices. We then put aside £1 for every label that is left, which we combine with donations left by visitors – who also leave bags of groceries for the food banks as well.
Their memories and generosity has enabled us to give £500 to each food bank, which we visited this week to hand over the cash and find out more about their work.
Joanne Hutsby, a partner in Gillotts Funeral Directors, said: “We have been holding our Christmas tree appeal for about 20 years now and we used to choose a different charity every year.
“However, when we decided to support local food banks a few years ago, it struck a chord with our staff and we have donated the proceedings to them every year since.
“I don’t think anybody would have expected food banks to be anything but a temporary measure, but we are proud to support them again and we hope they will be able to use the money to help ease the burden for local families.”
Chris Tomlinson, who manages the Tin Hat Centre Food Bank in Selston, says the organisation is busier than ever and has increased its opening times from one day a week to five days a week over the past two years.
It is run by 25 regular volunteers alongside nine part-time staff and serves around 300 local households, handing out food and other necessary items.
Chris said: “Demand for food banks is growing, as are the costs of running them, so any help we get with donations is unbelievably welcome.
“People are unable to buy food and pay their gas and electric bills, so we try and help in any way we can. We hand out food parcels on a fortnightly basis, consisting of two or three bags of ingredients people can use to make several meals.
“I’ve never seen it as busy as this and we’re getting about five new referrals every week. Some of them are emergency one-offs but some of them become regulars. People are really struggling out there.”
Another local food bank which has benefitted from a £500 donation from Gillotts is the Brinsley Food Bank, based at the parish centre in Cordy Lane and operates every Wednesday from 10am to 11.45am.
Liz Williamson, the food bank’s manager, said: “We hand out about 20 food parcels every week and serve Brinsley and the surrounding villages, like Jacksdale and Westwood, which goes to show that there are households struggling in areas that people might consider to be affluent.
“The food bank started out during Covid and everyone assumed it would be a temporary thing but it’s grown and grown ever since and the demographic of people who use us has changed during that time too.
“We’ve gone from mainly families with children to single people now who are struggling to make ends meet and pay their bills. The £500 will really help us to buy products like milk, biscuits and tinned meat like stewing steak, which we don’t get donated to us anymore because the cost of it has gone through the roof.”
The other food banks to receive money from Gillotts’ Christmas appeal are the Eastwood Volunteer Bureau’s Food Bank, which serves Eastwood and Kimberley, the Haven Church and Community Centre in Wadsworth Road, Stapleford, and Salcare, which is based in Ray Street, Heanor, across the border in Derbyshire.