Peterborough hospital launches Christmas Giving Tree to help vulnerable families

Last year, the North West Anglian NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Peterborough City, Hinchingbrooke and Stamford & Rutland hospitals, donated over 1000 presents to families in the local area around Huntingdon and Peterborough, who were overwhelmed by the generosity of the local community.

This year, some families have been hit particularly hard, meaning there are many children who will not receive anything, other than kind donations through the Giving Tree.

Natalie Styles-Hudson, Lead Nurse for Safeguarding People, said: “We have participated in the Giving Tree for a number of years now, but unfortunately due to Covid-19, we are unable to accept actual gifts to be dropped off at our hospitals. However we are keen to make sure that we do everything we can to support local children in need again. This year we have created an Amazon Wish List, where our staff, patients and the public can all order gifts for those children who will receive very little for Christmas. These gifts will then be delivered directly to specific charities who then allocate them to their families.

“If you are able to help us by buying an extra gift for a child this year, it would mean so much to those families. Examples of gifts are available via our Amazon Wish List and the presents need to remain unwrapped.

“Last year presents were given to children living in absolute poverty including children in refuges, hostels and bed and breakfasts. We were also able to expand to the amount of places we gave to, including domestic abuse refuges, children identified by local schools as living in poverty and some young people living in hostels, who would otherwise be homeless.”

The Amazon Wish List can be found at https://bit.ly/3mCXK3m