Giving away your bestest toy!!!

This is my penultimate blog so hopefully you will have by now learn't lots from this Christmas Woking Foodbank campaign, from the struggle all year round to feed the vulnerable to the free Christmas day celebrations as mentioned below.

Whilst recouping from my operation at home, I had a visit from the lovely little Summer.  Summer told me that she is not 6 years old, but in fact 6 & 3/4 years old, she was most adamant about that!!!! 

Summer is pictured here with some of her favourite cuddly toys and you may wonder why?  Well because she has lovingly given them all up and in her words "to give to children that don't have any toys"  Summer even gave up her most favourite toy and it just so happens to be a Reindeer...called Gilly.  Summer said "I have decided to give up Gilly because I would give Gilly to my best friend, but my best friend has toys so I am going to let someone else have my best toy and I am really, really, really, really happy because the other girl will be happy, excited and surprised, Summer also told me that hopefully this will mean that she wont be put on the "naughty list this year".....What an absolutely amazing thing to do, would you give up your best toy????? and I think we can all agree that yes Summer will be exempt from the naughty list this year!  These toys have already been taken to The Foodbank and they will be given to The Jigsaw Project which is located on the ground floor of The Foodbank.

We had a very generous donation last week from Surrey Floors & Doors, Brookwood.  I popped into the shop a couple of weeks ago to discuss the campaign with one of the co-owners Ed.  Ed told me that he knew the Foodbank existed as he had been to his kiddies school a few weeks previous and indeed had been told that all the food from the harvest festival would be going to the Woking Foodbank.  Ed tells me that Emma is the shop manageress and is the brains behind the organisation and also a local Brookwood resident!

It's actually really hard work asking for charitable donations as I get everyone has their own charities they give to or indeed have money commitments especially this time of the year. I always feel like the characters from The Muppets Christmas Carol (by the way this the bestest film ever in the whole wide world) asking Scrooge for the charitable donation, and having to accept that rejection, but I have to say Ed completely blew my mind, I was actually not prepared for his response at all and he completely took the wind out of my sails.  

Ed is a joint owner with Liam & Victor and they have had a shop in Brookwood for 5 years now, Ed tells me that it is not a family business, but it is run like a family business.  Surrey Floors and Doors specialise in high quality wood flooring and restorations and although they have a lot of their business in the village they also undertake high end bespoke work as they have plenty of talented craftsmen to undertake the work.  I personally love the fact that its not a family business, but run as such.  Many many thanks Surrey Floors and Doors for your donation this will help us buy those essential items that are required.

Now talking of which we had actually decided to make an interim distribution this year, so all was going to plan, until we suddenly realised that we didn't have a van this year to get it all there.  Couple of text messages later and Shaun Roker from Brookwood Post Office/Bakers Dozen very kindly offered his van - saved by the van and the baker....phew....

By making this interim distribution of food parcels to the foodbank, will enable The Salvation Army to get involved.  The Salvation Army in Goldsworth Park is also a drop off point for food parcels, so if you cant get to any of my drop off points, being Brookwood Club or Brookwood Post Office/Bakers Dozen during opening hours,  I am sure that they will be more than happy to help out.  The Salvation Army will deliver food parcels to vulnerable families and by us making the interim distribution now means that those people will get the food before Christmas which is absolutely wonderful.  As you can see its a large haul already, but we still need more, so keep those parcels coming folks, the deadline has been extended until 8th December; firstly because I have not been able to give it my full attention due to my recent operation and; secondly because a lot of people have asked me to wait until they have been paid at the end of this month, so who am I to argue with that.  

I have two lists from the foodbank for supplies needed and my little elves were round Thursday night sorting out all the bags into the same products and can you believe out of all the 40 odd bags we only had 1 bottle of Mayonnaise, yes just 1 bottle, that was such a surprise.  So my mum has been shopping and now we have a bag full of mayonnaise.  That's the good thing of sorting the bags you get some idea of what you are short on.  Now if you are interested, we are currently short on toilet rolls, tea/coffee and crisps, so if you are thinking of doing a food parcel and needed some ideas of what to put in it then these items would be fab, but here's the list just in case you are unsure of what else is needed. 

Don't forget next Saturday 8th December is Christmas tree light-up in the village, please do come along and support the event.  There will be hot-dogs, mulled wine and a live band to see you through the evening. Its an open event so all are welcome, it starts at 6pm so bring the family and soak up the atmosphere.  

Alison Buckland from The Foodbank will officially be turning on the lights so she can answer any questions you may have and we are hopeful that Woking News and Mail will also attend to cover the event.  The trolley will be in attendance so if you could bring an item of non-perishable food to help us fill up the trolley that would be amazing.

I had a very generous donation of three food parcels dropped off at Brookwood Club this week, unfortunately the person did not leave a name or contact details and was not recognised by the staff at The Club, if it was you, please do get in touch so that I can thank you personally.

This week's Radio Woking interview with Jon Andrew's from Radio Woking, which is located at Winston Churchill School can be heard here MixCloud - radio interview  - scroll to 24mins just after the Christmas tune - I believe in Father Christmas by Greg Lake.  If you haven't learnt anything new about the Foodbank yet then listen on in you are bound to with this interview....Also remembering Liam Brennan referring to me as an amazing beacon of light for the local community....ha ha ha ha glad that someone thinks I shine brightly.

So Christmas day is fast approaching and Woking Foodbank are highlighting the Christmas Day celebrations which will be held at The Lighthouse again this year. If you, or anyone you know will be on their own on Christmas Day, please sign up. All free to join.  To book your place please drop an email to info@lighthousewoking.org the event starts at 9.30am and finishes at 3pm, don't be a stranger.

In the meantime my Christmas foodbank campaign will continue to run until the evening of Saturday 8th December 2018.

My drop off points are :

Brookwood Club 4.30pm-11pm &
Brookwood Post Office/Bakers Dozen 8am til 5.30pm; or 
if you would like me to collect a parcel my email address is :

trudifletcher@rocketmail.com