A spot of festive fundraising to help out those in need
Adam Riley, 21st December, 2020
2020 has been a year which few of us will ever forget and the likes of which none of us have experienced before.
While Gosschalks has undoubtedly felt the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, as all businesses and individuals have, we are acutely aware of the severe and potentially lasting effects that this crisis could have on our city.
Hull is the city we call home; the city in which we have grown; and the city in which we will always look to invest and support in any way we can. Whilst we provide ongoing support to a range of charities, this year our staff wanted to get involved and lead a number of festive fundraising activities to support a range of local charities close to their hearts.
They chose a small collection of local charities who are providing support to some of those people from our own area who are feeling and suffering the effects of this crisis mentally, economically and socially.
The charities our staff chose to support are:
The bulk of the funds raised by our staff came as a result of ticket sales for our festive daily draw to win an array of prizes supplied by the firm. Impressed by the efforts of all our staff, the partners have put their hands in their own pockets to more than double the funds raised by staff to ensure that each charity receives a worthwhile sum capable of making a real difference this Christmas.
As a firm, we cannot thank our staff enough for their support and unwavering commitment over this past 12 months and we are so happy that they have, as they always do, stepped up and engaged with our fundraising efforts to support these fantastic local causes on behalf of the firm.
Finally, as the home of The Smile Foundation, we cannot express how proud we are of our colleagues in the Smile team for the way they have led the COVID response efforts in our local communities, gaining national recognition for their outstanding response to the pandemic working alongside local authorities, the armed forces and our wonderful NHS. You can read more about our support for Smile by clicking or tapping here.
As the year draws to a close we look towards 2021 with optimism and the partners and staff would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year!
A few words from those we have supported...
Thank you for your email and lovely phone call on Friday morning. I informed our CEO Michelle Donnelly of the amazing donation you are sending us and on behalf of us all here at Hull Women’s Aid I would like to send our thanks to all your colleagues at Gosschalks for their generosity. Our specialist help for those fleeing domestic abuse is in high demand at the moment so please be reassured that your generous donation will directly or indirectly support women and children survivors of domestic abuse in our locality.
Sian Evington, Hull Women's Aid
Your donation to East Yorkshire Foodbank means a great deal to our Trustees and Volunteers during these difficult times. We have seen our foodbank usage triple this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We are expecting additional numbers of people needing help in the New Year, as businesses in the area struggle to keep going, and as more families suffer from reduced income, meaning they have to choose whether to feed their families or heat their houses. Your donation will help us to continue to provide help to anyone in the East Riding of Yorkshire that is struggling due to finance issues or health issues in the coming months.Thank you once again for your support.
Richard Newby - East Yorkshire Foodbank
The support is so appreciated, so please pass on our thanks to all involved. I was packing a food parcel for someone that was the victim of some terrible domestic abuse last week. She was really grateful for our help, but when I asked if she'd like a selection box for the kids she began to cry. I said we were able to give her these things because of local people donating funds and food, and she couldn't grasp how people could be so kind as to help. Obviously, despite the sad situation, we had the joy of helping her through a rough patch, which as I mentioned to her, would not have been possible without support such as yours. So I'd like to pass on our thanks on behalf of the people we help and ourselves as a charity. Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year!
Russ - Hull Food Bank
The Warren is based in a building that was once a Victorian fire-station. The people who worked there used to put out fires in people's homes - and in truth not much has changed, other than the fact that those fires are now in young people's lives. Poverty behaves in much the same way as fire - everything around it has the potential to fan the flames and make things worse, and it takes a while to get it under control and deal with the aftermath. Having access to food, to the skills needed to cook it, and to the equipment and people who can help you do that, is an essential first-step in tackling poverty. That's why we started to build our food hub - despite knowing that we didn't have sufficient monies to properly equip it ('if you don't start, you'll never finish'). Now - thanks to the generosity of staff at Gosschalks - we have the money necessary to buy 4 ovens; four hobs; and four fridges for the 'Bake-Off' style workstations we're building at The Warren (and also most of the utensils needed to prepare and cook food). That is a huge leap forwards - not only because it helps us to strategically tackle food-poverty, but also because full tummies generate the calmer space in which we can tackle the underlying causes - ranging from poor mental health to poverty of expectation, and everything in between. Collectively you've put out a big fire and empowered us to put out many more. Thank-you.
JJ Tatten - The Warren
