North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust’s ‘Virtual Giving Tree’ has delivered 1,300 Christmas gifts to families in need this Christmas that staff and the public have donated.

The trust has been overwhelmed with donations from staff and the public this Christmas.

Staff championed the idea of giving back to their local communities after receiving a huge amount of support from the public during the initial lockdown in the Spring.

Natalie Styles-Hudson, lead nurse for Safeguarding People, said: “I am absolutely amazed at the response that we have had this year.

“In total we have received around 1,300 gifts, 400 of which were from our local Unison team, which is phenomenal.

“We have participated in the Giving Tree for a number of years now, but unfortunately due to Covid-19, we were unable to accept actual gifts to be dropped off at our hospitals this year.

“However we were keen to make sure that we did everything we could to support local children in need again.

“This year we created an Amazon Wish List, where our staff, patients and the public ordered gifts for those children who will receive very little for Christmas.

These gifts will then be delivered directly to specific charities who then allocate them to their families.”

With the increase in donated gifts the trust were able to support many more local vulnerable children and young people.

The trust donated presents to children of families in desperate need, children in refuges and temporary accommodation and bed and @NWAngliaFT breakfasts.

The trust were able to donate presents and chocolate to 3 local hostels for young people and go out to local schools to give presents to families who have fallen on hard times from Covid-19.

Last year, the Trust donated more than 800 presents to families in the local area around Huntingdon and Peterborough, who were overwhelmed by the generosity.

Natalie said: “We heard some amazing stories from families who were really struggling to make ends meet, let alone buy any Christmas presents.

This year, we know some families have been hit particularly hard, meaning there are many children who will not receive anything, other than kind donations through the Giving Tree.”