Warwickshire’s annual Christmas gift appeal has once again brought the community together to support families in need and care experienced youngsters across the county.
Each year, generous residents, local organisations and partners donate gifts to ensure that every child has something special to open on Christmas Day.
The initiative, led by Warwickshire County Council’s Children and Families Service and true to ethos of Child Friendly Warwickshire, continues to grow, reflecting a shared commitment to creating a county where children and young people feel valued, supported and included.
This year, more than 1,000 gifts were donated, our biggest collection yet! Warwickshire County Council extends its appreciation to the following contributors:
- Norma Wilson: For over 27 years Norma Wilson has been spreading joy and kindness through her Christmas hamper initiative.
- Warwickshire residents – for their generosity and continued support over the past few years.
- Market Hall Museum staff – for collecting Christmas gifts for Warwickshire Children’s Services.
- Warwick Museum, Eliot Park Innovation Centre, and Kenilworth Library & Information Centre – for hosting drop-off points and gathering an incredible number of gifts.
- Warwickshire County Council staff – for completing a sponsored walk in Wales to raise funds for care-experienced young people.
- Ediblelinks – for providing 100 hampers and gifts to families across Warwickshire, with referrals open to children in need and children in care.
- Telford Junior School – an inspiring initiative from the parents, the pupils and the staff of the school.
- Warwickshire Fire Service, who have been with us since the very beginning, helping with deliveries and ensuring hampers are delivered to offices for social workers to give to the families they are supporting.
- OTR Plumbing & Heating Ltd for organising an amazing Christmas Toy Drive and rallying their community to support care-experienced children and young people.
- National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society – for their generous donations.
- Pertemps for donating 250 selection boxes to bring festive cheer to children in care and their families.
- Evelyn's Gift donated all the biscuits for the boxes, as well as extra foods and treats, children's toys for those with little ones and mince pies!
- Puddles Ducks, Leamington, as they do every year, helped us both with food collections for Norma's Hampers and with collecting gifts with parents for our Christmas Gift Drive, along with making their staff secret Santa into collecting for us instead.
- Lush Coventry for donating over 300 Lush items, promoting our initiative and collecting gifts from their customers.
- Warwick Tesco – donated 15 selection boxes for the festive drive, and their amazing customers have been generously contributing gifts and toys. A special thank you goes to one incredible customer who noticed the trolley was running low and purchased over 50 gifts to top it up—helping ensure even more children receive presents this Christmas.
- Warwick Ladies Netball – donated selection of gifts boxes for Children in Care
- Warwickshire Police – provided £1000 on gifts for older young people in care, and foster emergency foster carers who may take children in over the Christmas holiday.
- Ben Hardcastle at RS Group PLC – through our partnership with Warwickshire Police, we were contacted by a colleague whose brother wanted to support our Christmas drive. Ben Hardcastle, a night shift manager at RS Group PLC in Nuneaton, arranged gift bags—some with multiple items and others single gifts—each valued between £18 and £25. His incredible generosity amounted to a total donation of around £1,000!
This incredible generosity will bring joy and comfort to children, young people, and their families. Year after year, the kindness of Warwickshire’s community proves that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a big difference.
Warwickshire County Councillor George Finch, Leader and Portfolio Holder for Children and Families, said:
“Every year, Warwickshire proves what a caring and connected community it is. The generosity shown through our Christmas gift appeal makes a real difference to children who may be facing challenges or uncertainty. A small gesture can mean the world to a young person, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who donated, shared the appeal, or helped to spread a little joy this Christmas.”
To find out more information about Child Friendly Warwickshire or to get involved with helping young people in your community, visit childfriendlywarwickshire.co.uk/involved .