A group of Leek businesses have clubbed together to raise money and gift donations for local appeal for families struggling financially after a particularly difficult year.
Mark Brammar, Dave Swarbrook and Cathy Bower from the Foxlowe Arts Centre Creative Hub coordinated the appeal along with the Fox & Crow Gallery. The gifts were donated to an annual appeal at Haregate Community Centre, from where they will be distributed.
As well as gift donations, over £500 cash was raised which was used to purchase gifts in Leek. Several independent retailers offered generous discounts to make the money stretch even further and businesses including The Foxlowe Café, Bibelot and Duck Feathers hair salon also donated gift vouchers.
Laura Cottingham, manager at Haregate Community Centre said: “We have contact through the centre with many families who are barely managing financially and are placed under even more pressure with the expense of Christmas.
“We collect gifts for children and young adults each year so that no one feels left out at Christmas. The concerted effort from all the people at the Foxlowe added around 250 presents to our total and we are incredibly grateful to everyone involved to help make Christmas special for so many local families.”
Photo: Dave Swarbrook with Laura Cottingham from Haregate Community Centre