Families received a helping hand for Christmas after local businesses responded to a fundraising appeal.
Cumbria Education Trust’s Donna Lund launched the appeal to help families combat the stress of managing finances around the Christmas period.
Mrs Lund, a family learning mentor with the multi-academy trust, put her plan into action in October when she started to contact businesses and supermarkets in Carlisle to see whether they would donate money, food or other gifts for Christmas hampers for families most in need.
Thanks to her hard work and the generosity of the local community, she created 40 hampers that included all the essentials for Christmas, such as food, clothes and gifts.
Collectively, £1,600 was donated, which paid for the turkey crown, pigs in blankets and sausage meat that Mullholland Butchers in Great Orton offered at cost price.
There was also thanks to Jill Glencross Funeral Directors, DSD, Craig Robinson Vets, Gurkha Spice, Borderbrite, Ashlea Vets, Cash for Kids, Petteril Bank Council, Balchin Newsagents and Cumberland Building Society who all contributed cash.
Supermarkets Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons, Asda, Aldi and Lidl, plus Cavaghan & Gray, Carrs and Jacobs all donated contents for the hamper, including sprouts, carrots, potatoes, stuffing, mince pies, creamy mash, stocking fillers, nibbles, clothes and more.
Mrs Lund also received a call from Worldwide Travel Connections in Carlisle which donated 29 fresh Christmas dinner hampers that included a fresh turkey, pigs in blankets, sausage meat, pudding and custard.
Some families from the trust’s Carlisle primary schools – Caldew Lea, Newtown, Petteril Bank and Yewdale – will now receive these in time for Christmas Day.
