Record-breaking hamper appeal

We have finished collecting items in Waitrose for the Christmas hampers that we will donate to elderly people living in isolation and those in need in our community.

In total, 19 trolley loads with 3,350 items have been donated! That’s 600 items more than last year.

Most popular were soup (500 tins), crisps (347), tinned fish (226), Xmas puddings (175), biscuits (164), tinned fruit (136), crackers for cheese (129) and tea (147).

16 volunteers helped with collecting, and 18 people helped counting and recording items. A massive thank you to all of you!

Huge thanks to the hundreds of shoppers at Waitrose Wantage, whose generosity and kindness has been overwhelming at times.

Thank you as well to all the Waitrose staff, for looking after our volunteers.

And huge thanks to all at Challow & Childrey Cricket Club, for storing everything and for being so helpful unloading and helping out.

A huge thank you to all the fantastic companies and several anonymous donations who have supported our Christmas hamper appeal so far:

Waitrose
Peter B Ledbury Ltd
Day and Night Assistance
Aspire
The Duplication Centre
Chapman and Co
TSB Wantage
Nationwide
Laura’s Hair at Home
Rowes Costcutter
and Changing Lives
… to name a few.

A simple act of kindness can make a huge difference and is never wasted.

Now the hard work really starts, with 120 Christmas hampers to make up!

We have purchased:
400m of wrapping paper
200m of snowflake cellophane
5000g of shredded paper
120 hamper boxes
120 bows
500m of ribbon
120 Christmas cards
10 pairs of scissors
6 sellotape dispensers and packing tape

All ready to start the mammoth job of making 120 hampers on Sunday 4 December.