Every year, WALL receives countless donations from the community. We have received donations from schools, churches, companies such as Next, Boots, Marks & Spencer, the Royal Bank of Scotland and charity organisations such as the Salvation Army. In addition, there have been companies that have nominated us as a charity for that year.

Sometimes, individuals will donate to us when clearing out or moving away. We have even had a donation of money that was left to us in a will.

So how do your donations help our clients?

Items donated include jewellery, toiletries, food hampers and clothes. We have also received starter hampers for setting up a new home containing plates, cutlery, towels, curtains and linen. These items amongst others are invaluable for clients who literally have nothing to start their new life with. Other clients have to survive on limited finances especially those with children.

What do our outreach workers think about these donations?

“I was moved by the generosity of people in times of need and, more importantly, children giving away their toys to others. Encouraging children to give promotes empathy and encourages them to acknowledge that there are children who are less fortunate than themselves.

I was happy to be in a position to give clients these gifts, especially if they could not afford to buy toys for their children at Christmas. I was proud to be working for WALL as it can be a difficult time for families, especially for those in need. It was quite interesting to see their reactions; some of my clients were quite emotional and others were very grateful.”

“I felt quite overwhelmed by how much people are willing to give. There were so many donations from children, who had wrapped presents for other children. It was amazing to see the impact that WALL could make to people’s lives and it was a very rewarding experience to be working for WALL.

My clients were overjoyed when receiving these presents and some were reduced to tears. It appeared that it didn’t take much to bring a smile to their faces. It also demonstrated to them that there are some people that do care, which is important, especially when they have been let down by people close to them or are very isolated.”

As a voluntary organisation, we would like to thank various companies and agencies as well as the public for their considerable generosity. We hope to see it continue over the coming years, at Christmas and throughout the year.