More than 1,000 vulnerable people will be tucking into festive dinners thanks to The Ray Collins Charitable Trust's Christmas appeal.
Over the past few weeks, The Ray Collins Charitable Trust has been once again working to make sure Christmas is more joyful for local disadvantaged families, the elderly and vulnerable people living in isolation.
The Wantage non-profit organisation teamed up with the Vale Community Impact, The Wantage and Grove Food Bank, Wantage Community Larder and The Mix Community Fridge to make almost 300 festive hampers.
Mr Collins, founder of the Ray Collins Charitable Trust, was unable to help prepare and deliver the Christmas parcels this year after catching Covid. However, his team of volunteers stepped up and helped to save Christmas.
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More than 1,000 local people including 415 children benefitted from the food hampers, with 73 Christmas dinners prepared by The Extraordinary Hare pub in West Hendred set to be delivered this week.
Mr Collins said it cost £17,000 to buy all the food, bags and boxes for the hampers which are full of staple items and Christmas treats.
He said: "The hampers were really rammed full this year; some took two men to lift them."
The trust also teamed up with The Extraordinary Hare and put on a free Christmas dinner for 40 elderly and vulnerable people on Monday December 13.
Mr Collins said: "Everyone did a bit of bingo and had some fun and they enjoyed seeing each other."
The organisation has also treated 30 mums from the Wantage area with a special festive bag.
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He said: "We choose 30 mums each year that have had a hard time. We sent them some special bags full of chocolate, beauty products and even some fluffy socks. It is just a treat for the mums that have been through some pretty tough times."
Mr Collins explained that he has seen an increase in demand for the trust's work.
He added: "We have had some sad cases come to us with problems with domestic abuse and some poorly people. So instead of doing a hamper we have gone and bought the food for their Christmas and had that delivered for them to help take one worry of their mind. Hopefully it will help them get on and have as good Christmas as possible."
Mr Collins has thanked his team of volunteers for keeping the organisation going while he was away.
He said: "Christmas is always a busy time for us, we have about 70 volunteers. Just moving the stuff is a mammoth task, to deliver the food we needed 15 vehicles. The volunteers have been amazing they have also been marshalling at the booster clinics as well as delivering hampers."
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