New Forest Care Home’s Christmas Kindness Gathers Pace

Community-minded residents at a New Forest care home have partnered with nearby businesses to design, fill and distribute ‘kindness boxes’ to elderly people in need over Christmas.

Initially, residents of Colten Care’s Woodpeckers home in Brockenhurst set out to pack a dozen boxes with basic staples such as tea bags, tinned goods, coffee and biscuits.The figure was chosen deliberately to reflect the 12 days of Christmas, with the idea of a box a day going out to a household in the immediate neighbourhood of the home.

But the idea gathered pace, with business contacts coming on board to sponsor the costs of essential food items and Christmas treats.

At the same time, Diane Webster, the retired Canon of Brockenhurst Church, and Joyce Kolaczkowski, leader of its pastoral arm Brockcare, agreed to deliver boxes to those in most need.

Thanks to the level of interest, the original figure of 12 boxes was quickly surpassed with the total, just a few days before Christmas, rising to 29.

Woodpeckers Companionship Team Leader Jane Bunker said:
“This has been a wonderful opportunity for the community to come together and to show our residents making a positive contribution.

“We have had such overwhelming support from the community and businesses in Brockenhurst, we are hoping to do this every year.”

Residents at Woodpeckers have spoken of their joy at helping with the scheme.Audrey Wainwright said: “It’s such a lovely thing for us to be involved with, and for local businesses to join in too.”

Joan Sweet said: “I really enjoyed filling the boxes knowing they were to go to people in need.”