A community effort has helped 110 families with Christmas gifts this year by providing donations, as more and more families financially struggle due to the cost of living crisis. The charity has worked tirelessly to provide for children across Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Caerphilly and Newport, by making up almost 400 sacks with personalised gifts for each child.
Trustees from the Help Caring Team (HCT) charity in Newport, say the community effort has resulted in “tears of joy” for many parents who were struggling to fund Christmas this year. The charity was set up in 2019 and organises regular appeals to help homeless and vulnerable people in the four unitary authorities.
Ceri Waters and Hayley Thomas, two trustees from HCT charity, are the organisers behind the Children’s Christmas Scheme, which has been three months in the making. Ceri, who is currently still gathering Christmas sacks, said: “We do it every year, but this year we had a bigger intake with 110 families to provide for. We get referrals from Llamau, teachers, nurses, or people themselves who are struggling.”
