Northampton homeware store to help make care home residents’ Christmas wishes come true - here's how you can help

A local branch of a national homeware store has launched its Christmas appeal, which this year hopes to help make the wishes of care home residents come true.

Dunelm in Nene Valley Retail Park, off Towcester Road, has asked residents from St John’s Care Home in Weston Favell to write down their Christmas wishes on a gift tag.

From novelty mugs, to a fleecy blanket, residents have asked for small gestures that will make a big difference to them during the festive season, particularly in a year when they could be facing Christmas without friends and family as the pandemic continues.

Rebecca Waykelin, store manager at Dunelm Northampton said: “It has been a challenging year and we, with the support of our customers, are committed to helping those within the community who are less fortunate this Christmas.

“We’ve seen such a positive response to the campaign, both in store and on social media - particularly in the Dunelm Northampton Community Support Facebook group, so we’re confident that with the generous support from the people of Northampton, we’ll be able to put smiles on hundreds of deserving faces.”

The gift tags from the residents will be placed on a Christmas tree at the front of the store for customers to pick up when they are shopping.

A staff member will also provide shoppers with a shoebox to then fill with gifts.

The shoebox donations campaign will run until December 11, after which gifts will be delivered to the care home, as well schools and women’s refugees across the region.

Before delivery, shoeboxes will be sanitised and wrapped by the store colleagues as social distancing and hygiene measures remain in place throughout the store.

The local offering is part of Dunelm’s wider, national ‘Delivering Joy’ campaign, whereby stores across the country will take part in similar schemes.

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