A Salford mission is providing local families with gifts and food over the festive period.

Wood Street Mission has been supporting families living in Salford for nearly 150 years providing every day items that most of us take for granted. It offers practical help and services to families to help lift them out of poverty.

The 2017 Wood Street Christmas appeal relies each year on support from the local community to donate food items and gifts from their own shopping trolleys, helping families in Salford who need it most.

Local businesses, schools and churches make regular donations of presents and food items as well as raising funds to help the increasing number of referrals each year.

Mission operations manager Des Lynch, said:

“Our community have been fantastic. We couldn’t do what we do without them, we focus on families in Salford and the Manchester area, so it really is local people helping other local people.”

Last year, Wood Street Mission helped 4,500 children and provided new toys and food to more than 2,000 families in the Manchester area. This year, the number of referrals are expected to be even higher.

wood street mission infographic

The Sheridan Suite is one of many businesses helping to make Christmas as special as it can be this year, by offering its venue free of charge for a Christmas party, exclusively for the families being helped by the charity.

Wood Street Mission eases the strain for struggling parents and ensures that no child goes without, by providing new toys and books for every child up to the age of 14. Mr Lynch says:

“People can still donate gifts up until 20th December. We are always really grateful for the amount of toys we get donated to help other families at christmas time.”

Donations can be made via Just Giving or by arranging a collection online before December 15.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *