Salix Homes staff spread Christmas cheer to families in poverty

Kind-hearted staff at Salix Homes have been spreading some festive cheer to families in need this Christmas.

Ou colleagues have collected a mountain of toys and gifts for children and their families experiencing hardship over the festive period.

They may be families fleeing domestic violence, threatened with homelessness or experiencing extreme poverty and might otherwise wake up to nothing on Christmas morning.

Staff have collected enough toys and gifts to donate to dozens of families in Salford and Trafford, which are being distributed by the council’s Supported Tenancies Service.

The gift appeal was boosted thanks to Salix Homes’ finance support officer Janet Browne, who bakes cakes every week for colleagues in exchange for a small donation to her charity tin. Janet used the proceeds collected throughout the year to buy hundreds of pounds worth of gifts for the appeal.

Lee Sugden, chief executive at Salix Homes, said: “We know there are lots of families living in poverty in Salford who face hardships every day of the year, but Christmas is a particularly difficult time and we don’t want any child to wake up to nothing on Christmas morning.

“As an organisation, we are proud to help make a difference to the lives of families in crisis and we hope our donation will go some way to show them we are thinking of them at this time of year and bring a smile to children’s faces.

“The spirit of generosity evident amongst our staff has been really overwhelming, and we look forward to continuing our regular fundraising efforts next year.”