We have supported a range of community initaitives across this festive period.
This festive period, we were proud to support a wide range of holiday campaigns, helping spread festive cheer in our local communities. Over recent weeks, 76 team members volunteered 380 hours across festive events, partnering with 14 organisations including Clarion, L&Q, Peabody, Westminster City Council and our corporate charity partner, Demelza.
Additionally, we were able to support a number of local community projects across the UK with financial donations and donations of goods and materials totalling £8,270!
Delivering Christmas Trees for Ambition, Aspire, Achieve
To kick off the month, Stewart and Charlie Street volunteered with Ambition, Aspire, Achieve to deliver Christmas trees to spread holiday cheer to residents across London.
Supporting Ambition, Aspire, Achieve’s Toy Appeal
On the 3rd of December, Raechel Goddard and Mohammed Hussain again supported Ambition, Aspire, Achieve, this time with their toy appeal campaign. They spent the day sorting and wrapping donated toys, sorting them into bundles to be delivered to disadvantaged children ahead of the holidays.
Mohammed said that “It was a pleasure meeting the team behind Ambition, Aspire, Achieve. We quickly realised their vital role as a charity supporting Newham’s most disadvantaged and at-risk young people. Throughout the day we helped sort hundreds of toys and gifts into bundles to be delivered in time for Christmas. It was a truly fulfilling day”.
Creating and Delivering Christmas Hampers for Vulnerable L&Q Residents
For our first volunteering event with partner L&Q, Adila Gredelj and Elise John-Lewis helped sort, organise and assemble Winter Market Hampers for vulnerable L&Q residents.
Axis donated over £1,450 worth of household essentials and small gifts, which Adila and Elise used to create over 70 hampers. Reflecting on her volunteering day, Adila said that “It was a pleasure doing this knowing that someone will be happy with the stuff delivered to them, especially elderly residents and children just before Christmas. It makes me really happy that the little gifts we deliver to the residents will mean a lot.”
Ramesh Dabasia later volunteered to distribute these hampers to residents at L&Q’s Together This Winter event at their Lewington Centre on the 11th of December. These hampers will support vulnerable families and relieve some financial strain this winter.
Delivering Christmas Hampers with Westminster City Council
On the 8th of December, Josh Hodson, Steve Harpley and Mert Keklik volunteered with Westminster City Council to deliver Christmas hampers to vulnerable residents. In total, they were able to deliver over 50 hampers to spread Christmas cheer to residents.
Josh said that “It was lovely to be able to give back to the local community where we work. To see how the residents appreciated being thought of was special and moved me more than I thought it would. It’s my second year doing the Christmas hamper run in Westminster, I will definitely be doing it again next year!”
We also donated the following:
Housing Christmas Engagement Activities – £1,000
North Paddington Foodbank – £2,000
Hosting a Christmas Party for Residents at Westminster CC’s John Aird Court
On the 10th of December, we hosted a Christmas party for residents at Westminster City Council’s John Aird Court, where maintenance works are ongoing. The party included festive arts and crafts for the children, Christmas games including ‘pin the nose on the Rudolph’, Christmas music DJ’d by Santa Claus, gifts for the children and food including pizza and snacks.
The party was coordinated and supported by a number of Axis team members, including: Lindsey Gibbons, Lynda Prentice, Katie Andrews, Ryan Ogborn, Igor Taran, Steven Lawrence, Kate Thomson, Sophie Hall and Elliot Munnelly.
Over 25 children attended with their parents and carers, with enthusiastic feedback from all who attended. Lindsey commented that “Many residents said how grateful they were for the event and how it brought everyone together, something they haven’t experienced on the 13+ years they’ve lived on the estate. The children were very excited, and it also gave parents and carers a great opportunity to meet others and feel more connected as a community”.
Supporting Demelza with Christmas Gifts and Festive Decorations
On the 12th of December, we supported two Demelza hospice locations through volunteering and donations. Kellie Dowling and Michelle Ralp volunteered to decorate Eltham children’s hospice for the holidays, helping to create a welcoming and fun space for children and their families experiencing hard times over the holidays. Demelza’s South London Hospice Team spoke highly of their involvement, saying: "They were both fantastic and a brilliant help to us setting up on Friday ahead of our first family in on Friday evening. We probably couldn't have managed it in time without their support."
Lorrae Mannering also visited Demelza’s Sittingbourne location to deliver over £920 worth of gifts, which will be given to children in hospice and their siblings over the holiday period. These gifts were funded by the collection and recycling of scrap metal throughout the year, as well as donations from BJL Electrical, H.I.S Solutions and Medway Scaffolding.
The Lewisham Park Towers Hub Christmas Party
On the 17th of December, we hosted our second annual Christmas party for residents at L&Q’s Lewisham Park Towers, at our Hub space. The event included a catered Christmas lunch for residents, followed by carols led by the LPT choir, Christmas games and a movie. Over 50 residents attended, and there was a truly festive feel to the event.
Thank you to all the Axis team members who helped make the event a success: Debbie Fadare, Joe Ibrahim, Taydia Charles, Adila Gredelj, Joe Marshall, Tanya Edwards, Rositsa Kormeva, Mike Fleming, Laura Nicol, Sabrina Alexander, Jack Adams, Mal Smithapushpan and Andy Pay.
Supporting Newham Council to Serve Christmas Lunches to Elderly Residents
Across the 17th and 18th of December, a large team of Axis volunteers worked with Newham Council to serve Christmas lunches to elderly and vulnerable residents in Newham. Axis also provided a donation of £2,000 to support the event.
Newham Council expressed their gratitude for our volunteers, saying “Your support and hands-on involvement were truly appreciated, and we are grateful for the positive impact you’ve helped us achieve. Your contribution made a real difference in creating a warm and festive atmosphere for everyone.”
Thank you to all the Axis volunteers who supported this initiative: Nadia Raham, Evie Murphy, Brigitte Gellen, Shannon Mills, Roisin Pinder, Claudia Saliaji, Khusba Jahedi, Graham Drew and Lloyd Herbert.
Volunteering with Kinder Essex to Deliver a Community Christmas Tea Party
Ana Minzat volunteered with Kinder Essex on the 17th of December to support their community Christmas tea party, helping to set up the event, serve afternoon tea and connect with local residents.
Ana reflected that “It was lovely to see how much the event meant to the local residents. Many of the guests clearly appreciated the care, time, and festive spirit that went into making the afternoon so special. The homemade food, decorations, and relaxed pace created a genuine sense of community and Christmas cheer.”
Delivering a Christmas Celebration at L&Q’s Catalina Court
On the 18th of December, we hosted a Christmas party for residents at L&Q’s sheltered living scheme at Catalina Court, complete with a Toby Carvery roast dinner, secret Santa presents, bingo games and a live singer!
Our volunteers thoroughly enjoyed the event, with Stacey Trotman reflecting that “It was rewarding to see how much the residents enjoyed the experience. The day highlighted the positive impact that small acts of kindness and community engagement can have, especially at this time of year.”
A huge thank you to everyone involved: Adila Gredelj, Stacey Trotman, Tina Nevill, Maida Muratovic, Ellie Matthews, Christina Photiou and Samantha Ifill.
Supporting Peabody’s Pembury Community Hub Christmas Celebration
Bronwen Shand volunteered at a Christmas celebration hosted by Peabody at their Pembury community hub on the 19th of December. At the event, attendees were treated to a Christmas lunch, raffle prizes, Christmas crackers and goody bags for children, for which we donated over £200 worth of presents.
Providing a Festive Refresh – Free Haircuts at L&Q’s Newquay House
To wrap up our festive campaign, we offered free haircuts to residents at L&Q’s Newquay House. Residents were able to get a style refresh for the festive season, complete with complementary tea, coffee and festive treats.
Donations to Local Causes in Warwick
In addition to our volunteering efforts, we have donated £700 to six local community projects in Warwick as part of our contract with Warwick District Council.
We’re proud to have been able to support such a large number of festive campaigns this holiday season, strengthening ties with clients and local communities. These events have allowed us to spread cheer, particularly to those facing difficult times during the holiday season.
