Thanks to the kindness of Active Flooring Solutions, Everton in the Community has brought Christmas cheer to hundreds of participants and nearby residents during this festive period.
The big donation from the top commercial flooring contractor has helped the charity give lots of magical surprises to people and families in Merseyside who need them the most this time of year. For example, it has helped pay for the Blue Base Grotto.
As part of its grotto activity, Everton in the Community’s Blue Base will welcome 125 children for the day who are either residents of Liverpool 4 or participants in its programmes, as well as referrals from nearby schools. The charity’s Blue Base Pantry, a member-centered programme that addresses financial hardship in North Liverpool by giving access to discounted food and other essential wraparound services, has also extended an invitation to local families who frequent it.
The kind donation from Active Flooring Solutions will pay for the grotto’s gifts and festive food. Children and their families will gather there to play party games and make crafts while savouring a hot meal. A unique Blue Santa will also be present to add even more Christmas cheer and give a gift to every child who visits, as many of the children there might not have received a gift this year.
A portion of the donation was utilised to buy 60 Love2Shop gift cards for Premier League Kicks participants to use during the festive season, benefiting participants from the charity’s youth engagement programmes as well. As part of their celebrations, a group of young people who are at-risk and have been referred to the Kicks Targeted programme also got to enjoy a Christmas carvery.
In addition, the charity held two Christmas parties for individuals enrolled in Kicks and the 41 Goodison programme, which gives participants, ages eight to nineteen, the chance to make big, long-lasting changes in their lives. After the program’s end-of-year celebration presentation, the young people on 41 Goodison celebrated Christmas with all the trimmings and their parents or guardians. Kicks participants had an evening of festive fun and party food.
Additionally, each member of the charity’s “Dads’ Club,” a programme aimed at promoting the mental and physical health of like-minded fathers, received an Asda voucher to spend on their families this Christmas. Along with receiving 40 Christmas presents for themselves and their kids, parents and carers who participate in Everton in the Community’s “Stay and Play” sessions—a project that provides them with dedicated time and space to bond with their children—will also receive other benefits.
Additionally, at the program’s annual Christmas celebration, each participant in the charity’s “Stand Together” sessions, which are designed for individuals 65 and older who are experiencing social isolation—was given a box of opulent Christmas chocolates. Everybody who visits the Blue Base Pantry at Everton in the Community receives a sweet treat as well; approximately 170 families received boxes of holiday family biscuits from their most recent pantry visit.
Adam Howard, Senior Programme Manager at Everton in the Community, said:
“We’re extremely grateful for the support we’ve received from Active Flooring Solutions in the build-up to Christmas. Their donation has gone a long way to help fund lots of festive activities across a number of Everton in the Community’s programmes this year, which has helped to put a smile on the faces of many of the charity’s participants, including those who might have otherwise gone without.”
Lucy Keher, Director of Active Flooring Solutions, added:
“As a local business, we want to give back to our communities, especially during the festive season. We’re proud to work with Everton in the Community and its reputation for delivering life-changing programmes to those in need is unwavering. So, to be able to make a difference and provide many of its participants with a gift or to help fund an activity for them to take part in this Christmas is extremely important to us.”
READ MORE: THE BRICK DONATES BIKES TO EVERTON IN THE COMMUNITY
