Community Christmas hamper appeal off and running

The team are hoping to help even more adults and children this year with many more working families living in poverty, as well as the unemployed, and pensioners struggling with bills due to no longer getting their winter fuel payment this festive season.

Lots of community organisations, businesses and local residents are contributing items for hampers again – Christmas puddings of all all sizes, mince pies, gravy, stuffing and ranberry sauce are all particularly welcome.

The aim is to ensure vulnerable families and people enjoy their Christmas at a time when their finances mean they can’t afford the treats that many others take for granted - 319 hampers were delivered last year.

Sharon Brown, a Melton borough councillor, has coordinated the annual appeal for five years through the group Melton Helping the Isolated.

She told the Melton Times: “This all started because we hated the thought of some pensioners cutting back on the special day and missing out on a warm meal for a few days .

"I hated the thought of kids going to school after Christmas and being the ones who couldn’t say they’d had presents or a Christmas dinner.

"This is the fifth year we’ve been doing it I think – I’ve lost count because we just get on and do it.”

Among the many organisations which has helped again this year is Mowbray Education Trust, which manages many local schools, which has collected food from the harvest festival and will be packing it all up on December 20 before it is delivered to beneficiaries.

This year, packing will be done from The Venue with staff and children helping.

Other contributions have come from members of St Mary’s Church in Melton, from Sainsbury’s, the Steel Yard Gym in town and a £250 donation from the Trumpton fire engine fundraising by local firefighters.

Sharon and colleagues will be out collecting on the annual Round Table Santa Claus tours of residential neighbourhoods in the hope of getting more support. Call 07837 398610 to offer a donation or do so via the Facebook page ‘Helping the Isolated’.