Bedford Retirees and Staff Come Together to Support KidsOut Giving Tree

Residents and staff at ExtraCare’s Wixams Retirement Village have come together to spread festive kindness by supporting the KidsOut Giving Tree, a charity initiative helping children affected by domestic abuse.

The project came about after Helen Williams, Dementia and Mental Wellbeing Enabler at Wixams Retirement Village discovered KidsOut online and felt it offered a more meaningful alternative to a traditional Secret Santa gift share. When residents heard about the idea they were keen to get involved and the initiative quickly grew. Now in its third year, the Giving Tree has become a much-loved annual tradition with residents asking as early as October whether it will be returning.

This year, between 150 and 200 gift tags were ordered from the charity and displayed in a central area near reception. Each tag featured a child’s name, age and a suggested gift allowing residents, visitors and staff to choose a tag, purchase a gift and place it under the Christmas tree. Alongside tagged gifts, people were also able to donate independently or make financial donations via a QR code. Visitors to the Christmas Fayre also took tags and returned at a later date with gifts to donate.

A wide range of items were donated, including toys, games, books, toiletries and practical items suitable for children from babies through to teenagers. The response was so generous that the volume of donations exceeded the capacity of a single car, with additional help needed to transport everything.

All donations were coordinated and collected on site before being personally delivered to the KidsOut charity warehouse, ensuring the gifts could be distributed to children in time for Christmas.

Speaking about the importance of the project, Helen commented: “This charity, especially this year, is close to home for people I know who have been affected by domestic abuse. Knowing that we can make a difference to even one child’s life, particularly when they’ve had to leave everything behind through no fault of their own means the absolute world. I feel incredibly blessed to be surrounded by such amazing staff and residents who want to contribute and be part of something so generous. It really shows that kindness, empathy and generosity are still very much alive.”

A representative at KidsOut, added “I thank all the staff who have been so generous by way of donating toys and gifts to our annual Giving Tree. Thanks to you, many children who have fled domestic abuse and are living in women’s refuges this Christmas, will have something to open on Christmas Day.”

The collection ran from mid-November until early December, allowing KidsOut time to distribute gifts ahead of Christmas.

For more information about KidsOut and the Giving Tree, visit www.kidsout.org.uk.