A new van donated to St Joseph’s Family Centre is helping the Warrington charity prepare for its busiest time of the year as it aims to provide 400 Christmas hampers and £15,000 in food vouchers for local families in need.
The Nissan Townstar van has been personally donated by Kevin Gorman, Chairman of Warrington glazing contractor Britplas Group, with the livery and signwriting generously provided by Steve Savage of Signs Northwest.
It is already making a difference, collecting donated food from local supermarkets and helping to facilitate donations from across the community.
In December, it will play a vital role in delivering Christmas hampers to schools and homes throughout Warrington.
St Joseph’s supported 1,917 children and 969 adults last year – a fitting figure for a charity founded in 1917 – and is preparing for another busy Christmas appeal.
The charity provides counselling for children and adults, emergency welfare support for individuals and families in crisis, and operates an accredited child contact centre.
It delivers this work with a team of just 12 people, comprising six counsellors, two full-time staff and four part-time administrators.
The new van is expected to make a significant difference to the charity’s workload.
As part of a local food network, St Joseph’s receives substantial donations from supermarkets. Previously, staff had to use their own cars, often making two or three journeys to collect everything.
The van now allows collections to be completed in a single trip, freeing up valuable time for staff to concentrate on supporting families and individuals.
Britplas has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with St Joseph’s, with employees organising a Christmas collection every year and Kevin Gorman helping deliver hampers to families in the local area.
Kevin said: “Every year our team sees how much St Joseph’s achieves with the help of its volunteers. The staff collection is something everyone at Britplas gets behind, and delivering the hampers has become part of our Christmas.
“A van felt like the most useful thing I could give, it means more of their time goes where it matters, with the people who need it most.”
At the heart of this year’s appeal are plans to prepare 400 hampers, which will be picked and packed by volunteers at the Centre and Winmarleigh House, a local Masonic hall.
Alongside the hampers, the charity aims to distribute £15,000 in food vouchers, giving families the freedom to choose the groceries they need rather than receiving a pre-selected food parcel.
Jo Wilkinson, Centre Manager at St Joseph’s Family Centre, said: “The van has changed how we work. Collections that took three trips in our own cars now take one, and that time goes straight back into supporting people.
“Christmas is when demand is highest and this year we want to reach more people than ever.”
How Warrington residents can help
St Joseph’s is appealing for support from residents, businesses and community groups to help make this year’s Christmas appeal a success.
Food donations
The charity is collecting store cupboard essentials, including tins, packets and long-life food, as well as Christmas treats such as selection boxes, chocolates and boxes or tins of biscuits.
Donations can be delivered to:
St Joseph’s Family Centre, 9 Museum Street, Warrington, WA1 1JA.
Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and alternate Saturdays, 9am to 4pm.
Food voucher donations
Contributions towards the £15,000 voucher fund can be made online at:
https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/31179
Donations can also be made by cash, cheque or card at the Centre.
Businesses wishing to contribute by BACS transfer can email contact@sjfc.org.uk for details.
Volunteers wanted
Volunteers are also being sought to help with the preparation and delivery of Christmas hampers.
The planned dates are:
Thursday, November 26 to Friday, December 4: Hamper packing at Winmarleigh House, with exact days and times to be confirmed.
Monday, December 7 to Friday, December 11: Hamper deliveries to schools.
Saturday, December 12: Hamper deliveries to homes.
Residents are also encouraged to share details of the appeal with friends, colleagues and local community groups. Printed flyers are available from the Centre.
Anyone wishing to support the appeal, volunteer or find out more can contact St Joseph’s Family Centre at contact@sjfc.org.uk.
