Support the Bankside Christmas Gift Appeal and together we can make a difference this festive season to people dealing with homelessness, or struggling with their mental health, and to our older neighbours.
Who does the appeal support?
Gifts are donated to people supported by seven local charities and community-based services that we work with in different ways throughout the year.
- The Manna Society – a day centre for homeless people and those in need, providing hot meals, hot showers, and clean clothes, as well as housing and welfare advice to around 160 people.
- Lucy Brown House – this sheltered housing service near Borough Market is home to 41 elderly and vulnerable residents.
- Blackfriars Settlement Positive Ageing Service – a day centre service providing support and social activities for 250 local older people.
- Blackfriars Settlement Mental Health & Wellbeing Service – groups, activities and one-to-one support helping 100 people facing mental health challenges in the community.
- United St Saviours’ Hopton Street Almshouses – the almshouses provide affordable accommodation for 24 older people.
- St Mungo’s Great Guildford Street hostel – a 24-hour service that looks after 55 people who are affected by homelessness and have high support needs.
- Robes Project – supporting 45 people experiencing homelessness by providing winter night shelters, food, advice, support, and re-settlement services to help them rebuild their lives.
How does the Bankside Christmas Gift Appeal work?
We partner with For Common Good, a zero-waste donation platform that means we can create bespoke wish lists for each organisation supported by the appeal, giving them the chance to tailor the gifts to suit the needs of the people they help. Commonly requested gift items include warm clothing, toiletries and edible treats.
Generous Bankside businesses and their employees donate gift items via the wish lists, helping to tick off all the gifts needed for every person supported by our partner charities and community organisations. The gifts are delivered to Better Bankside, and in December, teams of volunteers help wrap and pack the donated gifts so that we can deliver them in time for each organisation’s festive celebrations.
The Bankside Christmas Gift Appeal 2024 is now closed, with 675 people receiving a gift package thanks to the generosity and kindness of Banksiders.
If you would like to know more about the Bankside Christmas Gift Appeal or other ways you can support our local community, please get in touch with Rachel Nicholson.
