Generous gifts at Christmas

Thank you to everyone for your kindness

We say a huge thank you to local Catholic schools and churches in the Diocese of Northampton who have generously donated festive items for Caritas' Bags of Kindness 2023.  We were thrilled to collect 50 bags of Christmas gifts and winter warmers which we will be delivering to lonely older people in the county to help make their Christmas special.  

This is the third year that Nyta [pictured above with Abbie from Age UK Northamptonshire] and Deacon Jim at the Diocese have asked Age UK Northamptonshire to help them in their mission to show some of the most vulnerable people in the community that they have not been forgotten.  We are grateful for the opportunity to spread a little joy at Christmas.

Thank you Bluebird Care Northampton and Daventry for thinking of older people at Christmas.  We are grateful for their thoughtful donation of festive items to go in gift bags for our 180 day centre clients.  Senior Coordinator Amey Carrington [pictured above in her festive jumper] says our day centre clients enjoy Christmas at The William and Patricia Venton Centre because there is always something to look forward to.

Older people at our day centre in Rockingham Road in Kettering were treated to a surprise visit by the Mayor of Kettering, Cllr Emily Fedorowycz, who called by on Tuesday 19th December. The Mayor was delighted to join everyone in singing happy birthday to Terry who was celebrating that day and to gamely try her hand at calling the Bingo!

Maggie and David [left] are enjoying several Christmas lunches this week at our day centre in Northampton.  They were thrilled to meet Paula, Remi and Rhianna from Arnold Thomson Solicitors who have raised £750 for Age UK Northamptonshire this year. Some of the funds have paid for all of our 180 day centre clients to receive a festive gift bag full of goodies.

Sarah at The William and Patricia Venton Centre says "We are so grateful to everyone at Preston Hedges Primary School for bringing in the festive groceries and other goodies.  We are making them up into gift bags for our clients to help them enjoy their Christmas."

Maggie [pictured above centre] enjoys coming to The William and Patricia Venton Centre so much that her daughter Ellen [above right] and son-in-law Dave say they wanted to show their appreciation and spread a little festive joy by bringing in some fantastic gift hampers.

Thank you to Dan, Daniel and Charlie from Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service White Watch in Kettering for the gift of their time and a talk on fire safety awareness, but especially for their willingness to dress up as Santa and enliven things up!