Northampton charity gifts 100 surprise Christmas hampers to cancer patients going through treatment alone

A Northamptonshire charity has been spreading smiles, comfort and festive cheer to adult cancer patients by gifting over one hundred surprise Christmas hampers to those receiving treatment.

Thanks to the overwhelming number of donations, The Lewis Foundation was able to more than double their initial target and hand deliver 118 luxury hampers to patients in ten Midlands hospitals, including Northampton General Hospital, Kettering General Hospital and BMI Three Shires.

Lorraine and Lee Lewis, from Upton, were inspired to set up The Lewis Foundation four years ago after they spent a lot of time in Northampton General Hospital with Lee’s mum who was being treated for non-hodgkin lymphoma. They noticed how sad and bored patients looked on the wards and in the private rooms when they were on their own, without family and friends.

It was the fourth Christmas hamper campaign run by The Lewis Foundation – which provides free gifts and support packs to adult cancer patients all year round – and coincided with the charity’s other hugely successful fundraiser, the Lap of Honour, where £3,338 was raised by people completing a lap of any size in whatever way they wanted.

The Lewis Foundation’s co-founders, Lorraine and Lee Lewis who won a British Citizen Award earlier this year, said the amazing community support they have been given during what has been a very difficult year has made a real difference to cancer patients, and secured the charity’s future.

“It is all because of our valued supporters that we can continue to do what we do. We honestly can’t believe how successful our Christmas hamper campaign and the virtual fundraiser has been this year – it is just incredible,” said Lorraine who, along with her husband Lee and a small team of volunteers, has been delivering the hampers in the run-up to Christmas.

“We have been met with tears of joy and happiness in the hospitals which makes it all worthwhile.

"We had a target of 30 hampers this year but we managed to make over one hundred – all packed with essential items, toiletries and luxuries. These small acts of kindness make such a difference to people who, because of COVID, have had to go through treatment alone.”

The hampers contained overnight essentials and toiletries, letter writing kits, miniature radios complete with batteries and headphones, and lots more – and for some patients The Lewis Foundation volunteers are their only visitors.

One recipient, Paul, is a patient in Northampton General Hospital’s Talbot Butler Ward. He said: “It was a very emotional evening when the lovely people at The Lewis Foundation delivered a beautiful surprise Christmas hamper. It had been a difficult day in hospital but their gift lifted me and I had tears of joy.”

Organisations who funded the hampers include, Northamptonshire Community Foundation, Milton Keynes Community Foundation, Paradigm Office Solutions, Gateway HR, Glad Finance, DreamDays, TogetherNNess, Paul Green - The Business Community, David Smith Associates, Vets 4 Pets Northampton, Step Forward With Lewis and Louise Gordan Consultancy Solutions.

Donations of luxury food and items came from Friars Farm, Well Roasted Coffee, Whittlebury Bakery, Addington Garden Cider, Waitrose - Kingsthorpe Northampton, Morrisons, Kettering Road, Northampton and Christmas Pudding Company.