An enthusiastic response to AWE’s annual ‘Give a Gift Day’ charity event will see food, toys, clothing and toiletries going to four local charities in time for Christmas.
Staff volunteers braved freezing temperatures to collect, sort and pack items donated by colleagues. The parcels were then loaded onto vans for distribution to the charities.
But the numb fingers were worth it – so much food (around 1.5 tonnes) was delivered to the collection point that AWE’s team of festive helpers was able to fill 80 food parcels for the Trussell Trust’s Basingstoke Food Bank.
Hundreds of brand-new and pre-loved toys were also donated and these will go to Barnado’s to help make a child’s Christmas special. The toys are delivered in style during the annual Reading Toy Run charity motorcycle ride, held this year on 3 December. In recent years, the ride has attracted over 2000 participants. Nishkam SWAT Reading and Berkshire charity The Cowshed will put the donated warm clothes and toiletries to good use in their community outreach work.
AWE’s Dario Castiglione, who also volunteers with Nishkam SWAT, said: “Every year we’re so delighted with the amount of items and gifts donated by colleagues. These charities do such amazing work and make a real difference to individual people, families and children. I would like to say thank you to all of them for the work they do and also to my colleagues here at AWE for their thoughtfulness.”
You can find out more about the work of the four charities here:
Barnardo’s – https://www.barnardos.org.uk/
Basingstoke Trussell Trust Foodbank – https://www.trusselltrust.org/get-help/find-a-foodbank/basingstoke/