Hastings charity helps spread cheer to the homeless and vulnerable at Christmas

Surviving Christmas distributed more than 700 hampers to families in town this month and served traditional Christmas dinners to the homeless on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Organiser Megan Skinner said: “The charity helped many people locally, the vulnerable, the needy, and the homeless. From December 12 to 16, in the region of 750 hampers were packed and distributed to local families, in the hopes of helping them over the Christmas period. Each of these hampers costs between £45 and £50 to produce, making expenditure in this area in excess of £32,000.

“On Thursday (December 22), the charity gave a home to Father Christmas for the day, and more than 70 children visited, and received presents from him.

“Finally, on Christmas Day and on Boxing Day, the charity hosted many people for full turkey dinners with all the trimmings and Christmas pudding. The guests – about 100 on Christmas Day, and more than 80 on Boxing Day – were served by volunteers who helped make the day as special as it could be, and many other services were offered, including a barber, a hairdresser, and a doctor.

“So many people who were helped by the hampers, or who visited the Christmas/Boxing Day events, expressed their appreciation; many saying that without the charity, their Christmas would have been much more difficult.

“All of this could never have been provided without the help of so many individuals who have made wonderful donations. The charity would also like to thank Tesco Ravenside and Morrisons Hastings who allowed in-store collections. Donations there were hugely generous. There have also been some incredibly generous donations from local schools and businesses, including St Richard’s Catholic College, St Ronans Prep School, Claremont Prep School, Rotary Club St Leonards, Bexhill United Reform Church, St Marthas Church/St Vincent de Paul Society, Interface Manufacturing, More Radio toy appeal, Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire Society, East Hastings Sea Angling Association, Unity Care, Buxted Construction and Southway Junior School.”

For more information about anything the charity does, keep in touch via its Facebook page: Surviving Christmas Hastings & Rother, and its website www.survivingchristmas.co.uk.