Generous donations bring Christmas cheer

 Highland Council Homeless Caretakers Lynne Mackenzie (L) and Gail Pearce (R) pictured preparing to deliver the donated gifts.

Big-hearted members of staff from two companies have generously donated gifts to ensure that every child and young person in Ross-shire waking up in homeless accommodation on Christmas morning will have a special parcel to open.

The management and staff at Tesco in Dingwall, and staff and directors from airsource1 Limited, also in Dingwall, have kindly donated gifts for each child and young person who will spend this Christmas in temporary accommodation.

The Highland Council’s Principal Housing Officer, Derek Manson, and his team are overwhelmed at how generous staff in Tesco Dingwall have been. He said: “For the fourth year in a row now, Tesco in Dingwall approached us and asked if we would like to do this again, and of course we were delighted to accept their generous offer.

“This year has been challenging for all of us, but being homeless, especially at this time in this year, would be difficult for any of us. Despite the determined efforts of the Housing team in Dingwall to permanently rehouse all homeless persons as quickly as possible, inevitably there are families in temporary, but suitable, accommodation over Christmas. Like previous years we have been staggered at the generosity of the management and staff at Tesco in Dingwall. I would like to express my sincere thanks to every one of them for their outstanding support.

In Ross-shire 66 children under the age of 16 and 5 young people aged 16-18 will be spending Christmas in suitable, temporary homeless accommodation.

Derek added: “This year we were also approached by another local company, airsource1 in Dingwall, who had heard about last year’s project with Tesco and wanted to offer their support this year too. Thanks to their generosity all young people aged between 16 and 18 years, who are currently in temporary homeless accommodation, will receive a gift hamper. My heartfelt thanks go out to Mandy Gair and the directors at airsource1 for their huge support towards their community.” 

Over the next few days the Council’s Housing team will be out delivering the donated gifts and wishing them a Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year.