In the lead up to Christmas, colleagues of Peterborough based Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited, parent company to KitchenAid, Whirlpool, Hotpoint and Indesit, donated items to three local initiatives: the Peterborough Christmas Shoebox Appeal, Peterborough Soup Kitchenand Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice.
On behalf of the Peterborough Christmas Shoebox appeal, Whirlpool UK colleagues donated shoeboxes containing items such as toiletries, books, tinned food, clothes and biscuits. The appeal was established to support elderly people living in sheltered accommodation in the community, many of who may not have family, or have family that are unable to visit them during the Christmas period. Including donations from Whirlpool UK colleagues, the Peterborough Christmas Shoebox appeal collected over 350 boxes in 2019, which were distributed amongst eight sheltered accommodation units, as well as to elderly patients receiving care at Peterborough City Hospital on Christmas Eve.
Whirlpool UK colleagues also donated a number of food items, including tins and jars, tea and coffee, biscuits, chocolate and sweets, all of which were given to the Peterborough Soup Kitchen, a charity for homeless and disadvantaged people living in and around the city. The charity operates from a kitchen in the Millfield Community Centre with volunteers who, in total, dedicate over 7,662 hours each year. They distribute soup, hot and cold drinks, sandwiches and take-away food from a specially adapted serving van in the city centre. The food donated by colleagues was used to help feed the 30-50 people that rely on the Peterborough Soup Kitchen for their meals every day.
Christmasselection boxes donated by Whirlpool UK staff were given to the Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice in Peterborough. Sue Ryder’s committed team of doctors, nurses and carers provide expert palliative care and support for people living with life-limiting conditions.The charity further supports the family members of patients, as well as those experiencing the loss of a loved one.
