Firefighters wrap parcels for those spending Christmas in refuges

Organisers of a parcel campaign to help people in refuges this Christmas have thanked everyone who donated to the cause.

Hundreds of food items, toiletries, toys and treats were donated to the Comfort and Joy scheme by kind-hearted residents, schools and businesses across Daventry District and South Northamptonshire.

Among the donations were five children’s bikes and other goodies kindly gifted by Halfords.

The scheme is run by the Daventry District and South Northamptonshire Community Safety Partnership and the Daventry & District Forum, and supported by partners including Daventry District Council, South Northamptonshire Council, Northamptonshire Police and Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service.

And Partnership staff joined firefighters, police officers and volunteers at Daventry Fire Station this week to sort the donations into parcels and wrap them.

The Northamptonshire Domestic Abuse Service will now distribute those parcels to people who are spending Christmas in a refuge as a result of experiencing domestic abuse, as well as other vulnerable families living locally.

Lindsay Checkley, Community Projects officer for the Community Safety Partnership, said: “We’ve been blown away by the generosity that people have shown towards this project so we’d like to thank everyone who made a donation. Your support will make a huge difference to people in need this Christmas.”

Make Christmas a little happier

Daventry firefighter Henry Sleight, who helped with the wrapping, said: “We work so closely throughout the year with the other organisations within this partnership, particularly in terms of anti-arson work. We were happy to lend our practical support to this very worthy project, which could help make Christmas a little happier for those people who are going through a difficult time in their lives.”

Ann Bodsworth, of Northamptonshire Domestic Abuse Service, said: “These parcels will be greatly appreciated by the families using our service, so I would like to thank everyone who donated items, the volunteers who helped to wrap and deliver those items and all of the people from the organisations involved. We are very grateful for your thoughtfulness, hard work and generosity.”

Councillor Karen Cooper, South Northamptonshire Council’s Portfolio Holder for Wellbeing said: “Christmas time is especially difficult for vulnerable adults and children. I send a heartfelt thank you for the generosity of those who have given and to everyone involved in bringing this campaign together.”

Anyone suffering from domestic abuse can contact Northamptonshire Domestic Abuse Service on 0300 0120 154.