Alliance Homes delivers Christmas cheer to more than 400 families in North Somerset

Local housing association Alliance Homes and the For All Healthy Living Centre in Bournville joined forces to bring festive cheer to people across North Somerset this December. 

Alliance Homes colleagues surprised more than 400 households with a special delivery of festive hampers, aiming to share the spirit of Christmas with those they believed would benefit from a little extra seasonal joy.  

Each hamper included a selection of chocolates, a £25 supermarket gift voucher and a Christmas card inviting people to local community groups and activities in their local neighbourhood.  

Alliance Homes’ Chief Finance Officer, Claudette Marcano, was among the colleagues personally delivering the festive packages. She says: “It was great to go out in our communities and put a smile on people’s faces. One lady was so delighted with her gift that she gave me a big hug and told me we’d helped to make her Christmas special!” 

The hamper project was coordinated by Helen Wheelock, Community Growth Manager at Alliance Homes. She says: “We found the recipients of the hampers by asking our Support Team, Tenancy Team and community partners to nominate those people they’d come across, who they thought might benefit from a visit and a little extra Christmas cheer. 

“This year we’ve delivered far more hampers than ever before and that’s thanks to all the local businesses and organisations who answered our call and made this possible.” 

Donations of time and money amounting to more than £12,000 came from Weston Lions, Quartet Community Foundation, Portishead Town Council, Jones the Builder, Allied Scaffolding, St Andrew’s Church, Low Carbon Exchange, West of England Rural Network, VANS and Race Equality North Somerset.