Banksiders make a difference this Christmas

Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Bankside community, 675 people supported by seven local charities and community-based services will receive gift parcels this festive season.

More than 60 local businesses supported this year’s Bankside Christmas Gift Appeal, donating over 2,000 individual gift items.  These items were wrapped and packed by 186 volunteers at Arch 23, which was transformed into a winter wonderland.

Special thanks for going above and beyond this year go to:

• Waterfront Law, The Keegans Group, Winckworth Sherwood, Smart Energy GB, Strive Insight and TopDesk for their generous corporate donations
• TMS for organising all the gifts for Robes Project’s guests at their Winter Night Shelters and Wednesday Club
• Lovespace for providing storage space ahead of the wrapping activities
• PedalMe for delivering all the gifts using their pedal-powered sleighs

All the gifts have now been delivered, ready for festive celebrations at the following local charities and community-based services:

• Blackfriars Settlement Positive Ageing and Mental Health and Wellbeing services
• Lucy Brown House
• Robes Project
• St Mungo’s Great Guildford Street hostel
• The Manna Society
• United St Saviour’s Hopton’s Almshouses

A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to this year’s Bankside Christmas Gift Appeal, demonstrating kindness and compassion for everyone in our neighbourhood.