Providing for Those Less Privileged During the Festive Period

At Christmas it can be easy to get sucked in to the excess of the season. Presents, rich food, booze, partying and much more can all put some serious strain on the credit card.

But whilst the festivities are in full flow and everyone is enjoying the season, there are those who find themselves alone, struggling to make ends meet and having a very different experience of the Christmas period.

So, this year, Stipendia decided to the help the East Yorkshire Foodbank and make a difference.

Throughout December, Stipendia’s offices in Swaby’s Yard, Beverley has been the drop-off point for generous members of the public who wished to donate to the 'reverse Advent calendar' that the payroll firm was running in conjunction with the charity. As the name suggests, instead of receiving something everyday, as you would do with a traditional Advent calendar, people donate a food item to the pool. Then, just before Christmas, items are compiled into packages to be donated to those that are in need.

Over the course of the month, the campaign has asked for donations of UHT milk, jam, Christmas puddings, sweets, toiletries and much more. The kindness of the public has been overwhelming, with donations arriving on a daily basis.

East Yorkshire Foodbank is based in Beverley and serves those in the surrounding area that need help with food and practical support. There are 27,600 people in the East Riding alone that live below the poverty line, demonstrating how fundamentally important the work done by the charity is. Stipendia Payroll Solutions, also based in Beverley, have long been supporters of the foodbank and regularly work with them to help boost donation drives, offering their time and resources to help.

Lynne Auton, director of Stipendia Payroll Solutions said: “We have a good working relationship with East Yorkshire foodbank so we were more than happy to give up some of our office space to act as a collection and storage point. We’ve also been helping to raise awareness and drive donations through social media. The numbers speak for themselves, there are too many people struggling and I feel, at this time of year in particular, that it’s important to do what you can to help. We’re now busy parcelling everything up to go to those in need to make this Christmas that little bit easier for them.

“Thanks to everyone that has donated so far. If you haven’t done so yet but would like to, we’re still accepting donations at our Swaby’s Yard office or you can drop them off at East Yorkshire Foodbank on Mill Lane.”

For more information visit www.eastyorkshire.foodbank.org.uk