A Christmas Dinner Project which started out in Deal in 2019 will be covering Thanet this year.
United Families UK, founded by Luke Shaw, is a one stop support charity which already helps hundreds of families on the isle.
Now Luke wants to extend that support by making sure isle families in need receive a Christmas dinner package.
Luke said: “In 2019, we launched the Christmas Dinner Project with the initial aim to supply 30 local families with a food parcel to help them enjoy a Christmas dinner with their family without the financial strain of doing so.
“Very quickly, the project grew, beyond expectations, and as a result, we provided for240 families across the Dover district.
“Since then, the project has grown massively, and although we have never covered Thanet, we have supplied a few families each year who came to us in desperation.
“When we started discussing this year’s project, we decided it was only right, that we included Thanet as part of the project,
“We have joined forces with the amazing, Mrs Rogers at Priory Infant School in Ramsgate, which will be providing us with a base to distribute boxes to the nominated families.
“Adding Thanet means we really do have to raise much more money, get more businesses sponsoring the projects, get schools and groups to involved and, most importantly, make local families aware of the project and how they can nominate or be nominated.”
2000 families
This year the project aims to provide packages for 2000 families. Work behind the scenes started in February and now the fundraising and campaigning has begun.
Luke said: “Families get a turkey, or option for chicken, at least six fresh veg options, potatoes, pudding, gravy, stuffing, everything needed for a dinner. Generally there is enough to last two or three days.
“Every year CJ Beans & Son farm provides all the veg for free, what he doesn’t grow he gets by exchanging with his contacts in London farms. We are hoping to also find a Thanet farm to help as it is now a lot to do for one farm.”
A shopping list has been released for items people may want to donate. These are for dinner items:
- Batter mix
- Stuffing mix
- Tinned veg
- Gravy granules
- Condiments
- Tinned fruits
- Tinned custard
- Apple/mince pies
- Seasonings
- Christmas crackers
Collection points will be advertised on the United Families facebook page
The project delivery day is on December 23rd.
Priory Infant School
Luke said: “We started collection on December 22, getting everything packed and loaded with our massive teams of volunteers and then on December 23 packages are delivered to the families’ doors.
“We will have a base at Priory Infants thanks to Mrs Rogers who previously worked at Kingsdown Primary and has worked with us before.
“We are going to have our own Guinness World Record entry for 2000 Christmas dinner parcels delivered across two districts by one small organisation.
“Nominations will open in October and we want Thanet families to be aware of that coming up, there are no requirements that people have to fit for that.
“We are also hoping people will get involved with fundraising and already have Sarah Nicholson and her family in Newington helping us out.
“We should have around five drop off points in Thanet soon.
“We are also desperately seeking local businesses to contact us and sponsor the project, with packages available to suit all budgets, interested businesses are asked to contact us by phone or email, to discuss the options.”
Find out more
Call 01304 799997
Email [email protected]
Website unitedfamiliesuk.org.uk
