Hamper appeal gets cash boost

The appeal - sponsored by the Wakefield Express and organised by the Rotary Club of Wakefield Chantry and the Community Awareness Programme (CAP) - is aiming to collect, pack and deliver 1,000 Christmas food hampers across the district.

While many members of the public donate completed hampers and food items, there is often a shortfall in specific items - which has led to the rotary club giving £1,000 specifically for the appeal.

The money was handed over to Ernest Hibbert, co-founder of CAP, which co-ordinates the donations, at a rotary dinner.

He also accepted a £2,000 donation from rotary past president Chris Sharp for CAP’s other work, along with £700 in sponsorship from the rotary club’s Dragon Boat Team from captain Jill Brookling.

The money will help CAP continue providing its food kitchen, which serves more than 500 meals a week, as well as providing help and support for families in need.

Mr Hibbert said: “This is absolutely fantastic for the charity. The specific donation for the Christmas Hamper Appeal will go a long way to ensure that we are able to fulfil our target of packing 1,000 hampers to help families in need this year. The additional donations of more than £3,200 towards the charity in general will help us to help many more families in a time of need and during a period of economic restraint on the public purse.”

CAP is still in need of donations to meet the target of 1,000 hampers.

Completed hampers, financial donations and individual items - which will be packed by volunteers from the rotary and Ackworth School - can be dropped off at the CAP centre on Market Street, Wakefield. Hampers can contain almost any dried foods but particularly tea or coffee, cereals, tinned vegetables and fruit, stuffing and gravy mix, as well as long life items such as UHT milk and fruit juice. We also need jam and marmalade, pasta and rice, meat pastes, tinned meat, biscuits and other Christmas-themed foods and confectionary. Please do not include either fresh items or alcohol.

For more information, call centre manager Kevin Dobson on 01924 381119.