Employees and members of the mutual donated food, toiletries, towels and sleeping bags.
The Cambridge’s leadership team then delivered the items in hamper boxes to its community partners, including the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, The Angels Foundation UK, Emmaus Cambridge, and Jimmy’s Cambridge to help people with much-needed essentials over the Christmas period.
Peter Burrows (pictured, centre), chief executive of The Cambridge, said: “Christmas is a time for giving, and our Giving Tree campaign is a wonderful way for our team and our customers to come together to help make a meaningful difference in our community.
“We’re incredibl[y] grateful for the generosity shown by our customers and team members throughout the year, and it was wonderful to hear how these items will make a difference to people this winter.”
Peter and Hannah (pictured, right) Gladwell, head of compliance at the mutual, also had lunch with the team at Emmaus Cambridge after handing over the hampers, which will be given to people in need. The charity supports people across the area who have experienced homelessness.
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Donna Talbot (pictured, left), CEO of Emmaus Cambridge, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of staff and customers of The Cambridge. The items that they have been donated will be included in the goody bags that we make up for each companion living here at Emmaus Cambridge. Christmas is a difficult season for many people for a variety of reasons.
“Receiving gifts from others provides warmth in knowing that others care about and are thinking of them at this nostalgic time of the year. The kindness shown will mean that we can give companions positive memories that will stay with them as they work hard to move their lives forward.”
Carole Charter, chief commercial officer at The Cambridge, was joined by Holly Smith and Natasha Ustamehmetoglu, who collectively came up with the Giving Tree campaign, to visit the Arthur Rank Hospice.
They were given a guided tour of the hospice to highlight the free palliative care the hospice provides for adults and their loved ones and sang carols to people on the ward.
Lucy Crumplin, chief operating officer at The Cambridge, met with Caroline Deeprose, founder and CEO of The Angels Foundation UK, at the head office to hear about the charity’s work supporting families affected by domestic abuse.
Finally, Sandhya Kawar, The Cambridge’s chief risk officer, visited Jimmy’s Cambridge, where she was given a tour of the facilities and spoke to staff and residents. Jimmy’s provides support and housing to people who are rough sleeping.
The Giving Tree campaign is part of the mutual’s Community Partnership scheme to help local charities. Over the last 12 months, its team has volunteered to support each charity through events and initiatives.
Earlier this week, team members helped Jimmy’s organise and wrap Christmas presents for their residents, which will be delivered over the festive period.
