THE FIRST phase of this year’s Giving Tree appeal has now been completed.
All of the tags have been taken from Christmas trees which were placed in venues across Wokingham and the surrounding area.
The appeal sees tags replaced with gifts for youngsters who may otherwise go without. Each tag represents a gift requested by one number of local charities.
Organiser Gill Mckernan said that this will now be a busy period for the charities who benefit from the campaign. Gifts are wrapped by volunteers from each of the charities before reaching the child it was bought for.
“People have dug deep,” Ms Mckernan said. “Support this year has been overwhelming and the appeal has been successful, despite the challenges of covid.”
Children have also donated gifts to this year’s campaign.
Eloise Bidwell from Warfield decided that her Christmas wish this year was to be Father Christmas to others, as she has everything she needs.
Mum Emily remembered seeing Giving Trees a few years ago and asked about them on a Facebook discussion page. It was spotted by Amanda Eversdon, Tesco Warfield community organiser, who made sure that kind hearted Eloise’s wish came true when she took part in this year’s appeal by taking a tag from the store’s tree.
Businesses across the borough have also been getting involved.
For the past few years, Wokingham-based recruitment agency Simply Commerce has taken part. This year employees were able to place gifts under their office Christmas tree again.
Holly Langley, business operations manager, and colleague Talia Tighe-Neal took their donations to Transform Housing on Denmark Street, Wokingham, on Friday, December 10. Transform Housing act as the Giving Tree’s present sorting hub.
Ms Langley said: “We are thrilled to take part and help make Christmas special for local children.”
Charities who benefit from the Giving Tree are:
- Barnardo’s
- Sebastian’s Action Trust
- Look Ahead Care
- Berkshire Women’s Aid
- Kaleidoscopic UK
- Transform Housing
- Home Start
- Berkshire Young Carers
- Dingley’s Promise
- The Cow Shed
- Building For The Future
- First Days Children’s Charity
- Berkshire Vision
