CHRISTMAS is a time for sharing and that’s exactly what Wokingham Lions are hoping shoppers will do.
It is setting up stall outside supermarkets across Wokingham over December for its annual Can Can appeal.
It is a simple scheme: as people go into the store, they are asked to buy a non-perishable food item as part of their shop. Then, once they have gone through the checkouts, they donate it to the Lions on the way out.
Volunteers from the charity then take the collected cans and turn them into parcels that are shared with some of the borough’s less fortunate, including older residents, single parents with young families, and people referred to the Lions by Citizens Advice, social services, and the Salvation Army. The Lions have been working with Wokingham-based charities like First Days Children’s Charity, Share Wokingham and The Foodbank.
In all, they compile around 200 parcels and worked with Wokingham Foodbank.
The collections started more than 30 years ago, and have been a festive fixture ever since.
Wokingham Lions Member and Can Can organiser, John Cleary, said: “We get amazing support from Tesco and Waitrose, who allow us to ask their customers if they could purchase an extra item of non-perishable food and donate it when they leave the store.
“On average, more than 3,000 food items each year are donated by the generous people of Wokingham. These are then made up into parcels ready for distribution.”
The collection dates this year are Saturdays, December 2 and 9 at Waitrose in Wokingham, and Friday, December 8 at Tesco in Wokingham. Lions will be outside each store between 9am – 4pm.
For more details, log on to: www.wokinghamlions.org.uk
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