Festive donations bring Christmas cheer

Tue 17 Dec 2024

Tai Tarian and contractor staff with a donation of selection boxes

It’s been a busy few weeks co-ordinating hundreds of festive donations given generously by our staff and contractors.

Christmas Day dinners, gifts, hampers, afternoon teas, donations of food, plus hundreds of selection boxes, biscuits, mince pies and gift vouchers should help bring Christmas cheer at what can be a difficult time for many.  

Carys from our Customer and Community team said:  
“Our community benefit donations happen through the year but at Christmas we really ramp things up and work closely with our own staff, partners and community leaders to identify those in need and help as many people as possible with worthwhile donations.”

On Christmas Eve our staff will also be out in force to deliver over 100 dinners to people who would otherwise miss out on a warm festive meal.

A big festive thank you to all the contractors who have donated:

  • Westward
  • Warmserve
  • Rugbi
  • D&M
  • SR Building
  • Sabre
  • Canda Copying
  • Norse
  • Glamorgan Glazing
  • Hale
  • Sureserve
  • CJ Construction
  • Castell Group
  • Aluplast
  • Joyners
  • Jeffway
  • Robert Price

The donations were made to a range of different groups and appeals:

Selection boxes for local children went to groups including Friends of Skewen, Forward 4 Fairyland, Neath Town Council Mayoress’s Appeal, Seven Sisters Fire Station, Bryncoch Community Group, sports clubs and Tai Tarian’s Santa Claus.

Food banks across the area were stocked ready for a time of great demand via the festive community benefits donations, including Bethel Community Church Foodbank, Canolfan Maerdy Foodbank, Ysgol Cwm Brombil, Neath Foodbank.

Baby banks too can face heavy demand at Christmas, so donations went to Sandfields Presbyterian Church Baby Bank, Bethel Church Baby Bank and Help House Baby Bank.

Other groups to receive much-needed support included young carers, veterans, and Christmas events for people with learning disabilities. These included:

  • NPT Young Carers – large donation of Christmas gifts to many young carers throughout the borough
  • Bulldogs – to ensure veterans can have Christmas dinners on Christmas Day.
  • Me, Myself and I- disability support group
  • Tai Tarian Haven Housing Schemes- donation is for all the 15 schemes to have a Christmas hamper each to raffle 
  • Skewen Craft Group- craft group were donated a gift card to purchase items, so they were able to complete their craft workshop without a cost.
  • Bryn Ukraine Support Group- boxes of festive biscuits to say thank you to all of the volunteers 
  • Skewen LAC gift appeal –gift card donation towards the purchase of Christmas gifts for families who are less fortunate in the community.
  • Longford Community – gift voucher towards the items needed for a Christmas community event.
  • LAC advocating for a festive party for adults with learning disabilities in Cimla 
  • Festive donation for a festive party for victims of domestic violence- donation was for a Christmas party for survivors of domestic abuse