CAUSE CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN

Pat pictured with her

Teesside Hero Award 2017

In December 1987 the first 25 hampers from the CAUSE Christmas Hamper Campaign were delivered.

Founder Pat McBride tells how it all began; "

The inspiration for what I and so many others now do was a pastoral council meeting when a young mother called Carol spoke about the impact of her husband being unemployed. She told us how they had sunk into depths of despair but had been lifted out of it by acts of kindness and love. That year I worked with pupils at Newlands School, where I was teaching, and got together 25 hampers.”

What makes the CAUSE Christmas Hamper Campaign so unique is that although the families remain anonymous,

the family dynamics are passed on to those who prepare the hamper which allows it to be

personalised to the needs of that particular family.

The Hamper Campaign is now active in over  22 schools across Teesside  with this number rising annually

as past pupils introduce it into their schools, workplaces and homes.

In 2016 we took to Facebook having received more nominations

from social services that year than ever before.

We planned to allocate 50 hampers via the Facebook  - the generous response was overwhelming.

THE CAUSE HAMPER CAMPAIGN WENT VIRAL

 

In 2016 we linked with other local charities and began to provide hampers for their service users.

Some of the charities we have supported include;

Harbour Women's Refuge, My Sisters Place, Pathways, HomeStart, Trinity Centre, Safer Families, The Link Redcar, A Way Out  and many more.

In 2020 over 1400 HAMPERS 

were delivered across Teesside. 

Since starting 34 years ago, more than 

13,000 HAMPERS 

have been lovingly prepared and delivered

to those facing a bleak Christmas. 
 

Touchingly, we now have many previous recipients of hampers who have grown up and contribute to the Christmas Hamper Campaign now they are in a position to do so.

The campaign has evolved over the years and continues to bring communities together in the most generous response to a genuine need within our local community

However, the ethos remains the same;

"to offer an act of kindness and love to those families and individuals who need it most."