A CHRISTMAS campaign for Home-Start has been launched by Openreach to support some of East Lothian’s most vulnerable families, with a North Berwick man who used the service over a decade ago following the death of his wife offering a helping hand.
Volunteers from the digital network business set out to collect about 5,000 gifts for 1,100 children across 18 Home-Starts, including East Lothian.
Home-Start is a community network of trained volunteers and expert support providing help to families with young children through challenging times.
The charity supported 56,000 children from 27,000 families last year. More than 100 children are referred to its services every day.
Openreach’s Chris Farmer, Nick Fleming and Dave Beattie visited Home-Start East Lothian in Tranent this month, handing over hundreds of priority items to bring a smile to children this Christmas.
Gifts included games, toys and books, arts and crafts, selection boxes, blankets, hats and gloves, along with wrapping materials and gift bags.
The donations are part of a wider Christmas campaign across BT Group2 in support of Home-Start, which is one of the company’s UK Charity Partners.
George Dalgleish, Openreach patch manager for East Lothian, said: “Openreach is focused on wellbeing in our workforce and giving to others is fundamental to this.
“Earlier this year, our fibre engineers collected thousands of items for foodbanks and we decided to do it all again for Home-Start to support vulnerable families this Christmas.
“This time, the whole of Openreach and BT Group has got behind it – and we’ve been overwhelmed by the response from our people.
“We want to help make sure there’s a smile on the face of every child supported by Home-Start this Christmas.”
Chris Farmer was first involved in Home-Start East Lothian more than a decade ago, and the charity’s support was even more vital when the mother of his children passed away, leaving him to bring up two small children single-handed.
His daughter Ellie, now 14, helped him choose and wrap presents for the appeal.
The former Home-Start East Lothian co-ordinator who supported the family, Linden Ross of Dunbar, became a close family friend.
Chris, an engineer from North Berwick, said: “Home-Start East Lothian is close to my heart as they helped us out as a family when my kids lost their mum.
“It wasn’t the easiest of times, with my son and daughter both being under six, but the help we got was amazing and we’re in a good place now.
“We’re still in close contact with Linden to this day.
“Even when she retired, she still helped me for years to come, taking the kids on outings and loads of other stuff so I could work. She is an absolute legend.
“This has been a fantastic opportunity to give something back this Christmas and the support from across the company has been overwhelming. It’s brilliant to see what can be done collectively as a team. It’s going to make a big difference on Christmas Day when kids wake up to a bagful of toys, games, chocolate and sweets – there’s a multitude of gifts been donated.”
Vivien Waterfield, deputy chief executive for Home-Start UK, added: “We are delighted that Openreach is supporting our families with this incredible project.
“Our goal is to make sure no parent feels alone, by standing alongside families with compassionate, non-judgemental community-based support.
“It has been a difficult year for families so we are thrilled that these Christmas gifts will help bring a smile to children and their parents.”
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