Our Giving Tree campaigns are underway again, and this year we hope to make them bigger than ever to ensure that as many children as possible receive a special Christmas gift. We are asking our members and friends to purchase an extra present and leave it under the Christmas tree in our Basingstoke, Newbury, Thatcham, Hungerford or Wokingham branches.
Basingstoke Giving Tree
The presents will be taken to the Community Furniture Project in Basingstoke, ready to be distributed to local families in time to be opened on Christmas morning.
If you would like to make a donation to the Basingstoke Giving Tree, simply purchase a gift relevant to a baby or child (up to the age of 16) and bring it to our branch in Festival Place, Basingstoke by Friday 22nd December.
Newbury, Thatcham and Hungerford Giving Trees
As in previous years, our Newbury, Thatcham, and Hungerford branches are drop-off points for West Berkshire Toy Appeal, organised by the Swift Group and the Newbury Community Resource Centre. The campaign encourages people to consider buying a Christmas gift for an underpriviledged child (up to the age of 19).
Gifts (this year The West Berkshire Toy Appeal have created an Amazon Wishlist to give you some inspiration!) can be dropped off at any of our three branches from Friday 1 December.
This year, Hungerford branch are also collecting donations of toiletries, snacks, stationary, and make up for Berkshire Women's Aid's Hungerford Christmas gift appeal. The donations will be used for Christmas care packages for women fleeing domestic violence or abuse. Donations can be left unwrapped at the branch until Friday 15 December.
Wokingham Giving Tree
If you would like to get involved in the Wokingham Giving Tree, simply visit our branch on Broad Street and select a tag from our Christmas tree. Once you've purchased your special gift, you can return it, unwrapped, to the tree for our Christmas elves to wrap and deliver. Please make sure any gifts are delivered by the date specified on the individual chosen tag.
The children on the tags are connected to one or more charities local to the Wokingham area, such as Sebastian's Action Trust and Dingley's Promise.
