RUDOLPH the contactless reindeer is asking for your charity donations this Christmas at Warrington Market.
Rudolph is the face of a local campaign by Warrington-based national adult health and social care charity Making Space, which has its headquarters on Allen Street, Warrington and supports hundreds of people in the local area each year.
For the first time, Making Space is operating a cashless, contactless, seasonal donation campaign, instead of volunteers collecting coins in the traditional boxes. All the money raised will support vulnerable people in Warrington.
Services that will benefit from donations include the Warrington Day Service, which supports people living with a range of mental health conditions in the community, and the Psychological Wellbeing Service, which provides one-to-one and online help for people with mental health problems.
Other services include The Academy, which provides supported housing for people with physical and learning disabilities, and Ashwood Court, an independent residential care home for people with serious mental health conditions.
Bob Towers is the fundraising manager for Making Space. He said: “The pandemic has drastically reduced the amount of donations charities receive – nationally, the figure is up to £50 million, and our services have lost out on thousands. People carry much less cash, and all the restrictions over the last two years have meant that collecting donations in person has been difficult, if not impossible.
“Making Space has been using online fundraising pages and text donations for a while, but this is the first time the charity has operated a contactless donation point anywhere in the UK.”
Rudolph is part of a traditional Christmas scene welcoming shoppers at the main entrance to Warrington market on Time Square every day. Bob and his colleagues at Making Space encourage people to snap a photo with their little festive friend, with the option of quickly making a contactless donation of £3, £5 or £10 using a card or mobile phone.
“We would normally really get into the spirit of Christmas with activities like tombolas and raffles,” says Bob. “But with the ongoing pandemic and the restrictions changing all the time, we decided against having a physical presence.
“However, we don’t want the local services in Warrington to lose out on donations for a second year running, so Rudolph is picking up the reins and helping us to spread a little festive cheer.”
