News

The festive season is a time that many friends and family come together to celebrate, however it can also be a difficult time for others.

To help make a positive difference, our colleagues, partners and volunteers have teamed up to help spread some festive joy this December.

Christmas gift vouchers

We are once again running our Christmas Gift project and this will see more than 800 customers receive a £20 voucher to spend at Tesco or Sainsbury’s.

The project is organised by our community investment team and has been running in various guises for the past 20 years. Last year more than 750 vouchers were awarded to our customers.

Our contractors donate money towards the vouchers and A2Dominion colleagues nominate customers. It is aimed at general needs or leasehold customers who are: Elderly residents (aged 60+, either single or as a couple), single individuals (aged 16+) with mental health conditions or disabilities, or single males living alone.

One customer who received a voucher said: “Thank you. I have grandchildren, and this year, I’ll be able to get them something from me.”

Another recipient said: “This will help me buy food and visit my elderly parents, whom I haven’t seen for many Christmases.”

Meanwhile, a third customer added: “Thank you for the gift. It has inspired me to volunteer and help others. This is a lovely thank-you for me.”

Christmas community events spread festive cheer to 1,600 customers

Through our Donations Fund a total of £38,730 was used to put on a range of Christmas activities for 1,600 customers from our young people, retirement living, domestic abuse and unaccompanied asylum seeking children services.

Colleagues arranged Christmas meals, hampers and put on activities for customers in our communities.

Karen, one of our customers who lives at Viscount Court retirement scheme in Windsor, attended a Christmas meal with a visit from Father Christmas who handed out presents. She said: "I just wanted to tell you how happy we were to have a Christmas party and a gift from A2Dominion. We can't thank you enough. This brought lots of smiles to our faces.”

In Stanwell, colleagues organised a Christmas panto at the local community centre. This provided the opportunity for families to enjoy a festive show that can typically be quite expensive.

We also put on a Christmas-themed event for our over 60’s social club on Friday 13 December. This included a two-course Christmas dinner followed by an entertainer performing Christmas songs

In Sunbury, colleagues teamed up with the organisation Surplus to Supper to put on a community lunch followed by entertainment for the community at the local cricket club.

Meanwhile at our community centre in Chichester we are also running an annual Christmas grotto and Christmas food hub with the support of our volunteers.

David Birley, A2Dominion’s Interim Director of Specialist Housing, said: “We wanted to do something to spread some festive kindness across our communities. Everyone deserves to have a place that feels like home, so we hope that these Christmas events have provided some joy and good memories.

“A huge thanks goes out to all our amazing staff working in our specialist housing services, who have gone above and beyond in their roles. They have purchased gifts and food, arranged parties, put in place entertainment, and really made the festive period special for our customers.”

So far this year, we have delivered £4.9 million worth of social value through our supported housing, tenancy sustainment and community investment teams.

Food distribution

We will also be continuing our partnerships with The Felix Project and London Borough of Hounslow to run a food distribution centre at the Clayponds Community Centre in West London.

The scheme runs every Tuesday and will take place on Christmas Eve (December 24) and New Year’s Eve (December 31).

Homelessness support

We are donating £300 in vouchers to the Ealing Winter Night Shelter. The organisation coordinates a roving shelter providing homeless adults with food and a night's sleep in church premises in the London Borough of Ealing during the winter months.

Homeless guests are referred by local outreach agencies. The coordination includes helping to recruit and train volunteers, ensuring safe operation and best practice and day-to-day liaison with referral agencies.