This year’s Christmas Food and Gift Drive is under way

A busy launch day at Waitrose marked the start of our Christmas Food and Gift Drive, and showed how local businesses and shoppers come together when winter pressures rise.

​When we arrived at Waitrose last Thursday 20 November to launch our Christmas Food and Gift Drive, we expected a steady day. What happened instead was a clear show of how people in Hexham respond when there’s a need. Shoppers stopped to ask what items were most useful, staff supported us throughout the day, and by the time we packed up, two vans were full of festive food treats and small gifts for adults. 

​Over a decade of support from Waitrose Hexham 

Waitrose in Hexham has supported West Northumberland Food Bank since the day we opened nearly 13 years ago. It’s one of the longest-standing partnerships we have, and year after year it’s played a practical, steady role in helping us reach people across West Northumberland. 

​Giving a helping hand where it's needed most is really important to Waitrose and Partners. Giving to charity is one way of extending that warm feeling of doing something good for other people, while also providing essential support for families and children in need. It's been great to support this campaign and do something practical to help Hexham families who might struggle this Christmas, because we know that this winter may be the toughest yet for many people in our community

Lee Colman, Manager of Waitrose & Partners, Hexham

This year, that partnership helped us start our Christmas appeal with real momentum. But the support goes far beyond a single donation day. The team at Waitrose have consistently helped us raise awareness, gather donations and stay visible to the people who need us.  

A wider network of local support

While Waitrose helped launch the appeal, they’re part of a much wider network of local shops and businesses helping us keep up with winter demand.

Independent businesses including Green Bee, The Card Shop and Matthias Winter have been collecting festive food and gift donations in store. Others — including Robson Print, Beautiful Betty, Beauty Spot, Derek’s Shoe Bar, Dickinsons Opticians, Inky Thinking, Lola Mac and several more — have been displaying posters, sharing the appeal and helping to raise funds.

This year, we’re also partnering with Grateful Bread, who are donating 50p from every Christmas toasted walnut and cranberry sourdough loaf sold. Grace and Purpose, working with other independent traders, are supporting us through the Shop Small, Shop Hexham tote bag initiative, with profits donated to help fund winter and Christmas support.

It’s a level of support that builds over years. These relationships don’t just appear in December; they grow through ongoing conversations, shared concern for local people, and a clear understanding of what winter looks like for many households.

Why we still need donations

​Christmas food and gift donations remain open until Friday 12 December, and as our helpline team respond to hundreds of calls a week, we are grateful for the response so far. Many of the people we’re hearing from are reaching out for the first time — people who are working, caring for families, living with long-term health issues or simply trying to cope with rising costs that continue to exceed their income. The donations we gather now won’t only help at Christmas. They will carry households through the hardest months of the year when food, heating and everyday essentials become even more difficult to afford.

How to support our winter appeal

​With two weeks to go until the Christmas donation deadline, there is still time for anyone who wants to help to get involved. People can support the appeal in three straightforward ways: 

1. Donate festive food or store-cupboard items: such as mince pies, biscuits, stuffing mix, crackers, tinned desserts, chocolate and other seasonal treats help make up Christmas parcels. 
2. Donate a small gift for an adult: think candles, socks, toiletries, soap, gift sets and other small items which allow us to send something thoughtful to those who may not otherwise receive a gift. 
3. Donate funds:
financial donations mean we can buy food and essentials when supplies run low. Every contribution helps us keep pace with the level of need we see throughout winter. 

  

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