Coop’s gift of giving
Hundreds of people from vulnerable communities have felt the magic of Christmas this year thanks to Lincolnshire Co-op’s Secret Santa scheme.
The campaign aimed to inspire the gift of giving and lift community spirit over Christmas by helping those struggling to provide for themselves and their families through 72 different charities.
The Coop had three means of donating by bringing a food bank item into a food store, a toiletry and sanitary item into a pharmacy or a toy into a travel branch.
Each food store, pharmacy and travel branch had a donation drop-off point, linked to a local charity to collect.
Inside Lincolnshire Co-op’s 13 travel branches Christmas trees were decorated with gift tags including details like a child’s age and gender for someone to buy for.
The society held a variety of donation drives to further raise funds including a food bank drive at Lincoln City Football Club, and a food, hygiene and toy drive at the annual Coop members Meeting at The Lincolnshire Showground.
Sixty colleagues across the Coop also dedicated countless volunteering hours to wrap gifts donated to Travel’s Toy Bank, such as in Market Rasen where presents were wrapped for over 100 children.
The last donations are still coming in for food banks and toiletry and sanitary banks, but 3,345 presents have already been gifted to 14 toy banks.
For the second year running, Coningsby Food Store also donated over 100 toys to Barnardos.
Bridge Church in Lincoln, supported by Lincolnshire Co-op’s Lincoln travel branches on Tritton Road and at the Carlton Centre, have hosted their Christmas Sack Project since 2007 which supports local vulnerable families by providing toys and gifts.
Emma Kinsey, Community Aid Project Lead at Bridge Church in Lincoln, said: “The support and encouragement from Lincolnshire Co-op has been a huge blessing to us. Our Christmas Sacks project gets bigger year by year, and it’s incredible to see the city of Lincoln come together at its most vulnerable time.
"Thanks to the colleagues and customers of Lincolnshire Co-op Travel, every gift will support and bring joy to so many families, and there will be some very happy children waking up on Christmas morning with huge smiles and beautiful gifts.”
Sam Turner, Community Manager at Lincolnshire Co-op, said: “It has been wonderful yet emotional to see the generous response from our communities, and how everyone can come together to help those in need provide for their families over Christmas.
“Thank you to everyone who has made a donation, to our colleagues and volunteers for using their own time to help wrap presents, and to our outlets for providing drop-off points.”
