Mindworks Surrey’s Care Leavers team has ensured that young people using the service will receive a Christmas present this year by organising their present donation scheme for the fifth year in a row.
The Care Leavers Service deliver mental health and emotional wellbeing support to vulnerable young people aged 16 to 25 as they leave their children’s homes, hostels and foster placements and transition into adult life.
Sandra Forrester, Specialist Mental Health Practitioner said: “This time of year can be particularly difficult for the young people we work with as Christmas can intensify feelings of loneliness many of them already experience.
“Our Christmas bag scheme was launched to bring some joy at this time and show our care leavers that people do care about them! This is the fifth year we’ve organised collecting donations to give gifts on Christmas Day and the generosity has been incredible.
“We’ve continued to receive generous donations from local organisations and would especially like to thank the Unum employee benefits provider, in Dorking, for the considerable amount of funds they raised and the donations they helped gift wrap this year.
Colleagues from across our Trust also responded to the appeal by donating clothes, games, sports accessories and items for winter like cosy blankets, and hats and gloves for the gift bags.
We’d like to extend our appreciation to everyone who supported the scheme this year.