FOR MORE than 25 years Gill Mckernan has been helping to ensure that no child in the borough goes without a present to open on Christmas morning.
The Giving Tree scheme she organises each year enables shoppers and businesses to support disadvantaged youngsters by buying them a present.
Giving Trees around the borough carry the children’s present requests on gift tags.
Shoppers take one, buy the gift, and return it with its tag, unwrapped, to the same tree.
These are then delivered to First Days Children’s Charity for collection by participating charities that wrap and distribute them to the youngsters.
“Gift tags are already flying off the trees this year,” said Gill.
“The campaign has really taken off – as soon as I top the tags up they’re taken by very kind and generous people in the borough.
“There are going to be some very happy children on Christmas Day.”
Organising the campaign is no small task, and last year Gill had to store all the gifts in her home, too.
“I could hardly move because of them,” she said.
“I’m very grateful to First Days for looking after them this year.”
Gill works with youngsters at Barnardo’s High Close School, but takes on the Giving Tree voluntarily, putting in hours of her own time.
Her efforts were recognised in 2020 when she was nominated by Transform Housing, one of the charities benefiting from the appeal, leading to her receiving a Wokingham Town Council Civic Award.
Businesses supporting the Giving Tree this year include Fidelius in Nottingham.
Mike and Keegan from the mortgage company travelled down together for the Giving Tree launch earlier this month.
Mike said: “Last year I saw the campaign on LinkedIn and messaged Gill.
“We discovered Berkshire Women’s Group had 20 kids in foster care who weren’t going to get a Christmas present.
“And that’s when we decided to get involved – it was amazing.
“I became a dad three years ago, and I think it’s terrible for kids to go without, so if I can make a small difference I will.
“There are 16 of us at work supporting the Giving Tree so far, and I’m hoping for more to get involved.”
Businesses supporting The Giving Tree are:
Simply Commerce in Wokingham;
PriceWaterHouseCoopers, Reading
BDO, Reading
Guardian Financial Services, Reading
Fidelius Mortgages, Nottingham
Airlife, Basingstoke
Artizian Catering Services, Hurst
Ariat, Oxfordshire.
Giving Trees can be found at:
Tesco Wokingham ( tags for requests for gift cards only)
Tesco Warfield
Tesco Martins Heron
Wokingham Library
Newbury Building Society, Wokingham
Wokingham Borough Council Offices
Nirvana Spa, Winnersh
Sedero Lounge, Wokingham
Gill thanks all the Giving Tree hosts for working hard to collect the gifts people return, and PwC UK for printing out tags and posters without charge.
