Busy happy days before Christmas

The Ray Collins Charitable Trust had a very busy week leading up to Christmas. After making 120 hampers, over sixty were delivered in and around Wantage with the help of the Wantage Neighbourhood Police Team, trustees and the October Club.

On Tuesday 20th December the Trust were contacted about helping a local mum and her poorly child. Minnie Cutis’ 9-year old daughter Maria had undergone a kidney transplant when she was only 2 years old. Recently, Maria had become very unwell, rapidly losing weight and weighing less than 3 stone. Maria had been admitted to hospital in London and is hopefully on the mend.

Facing the prospect of spending Christmas Day miles away from her four brothers and sisters, and with no other family to help out, the Trust sent a special Christmas hamper packed with goodies to help both Maria and her mum enjoy the Christmas holidays wherever they spend it.

All the Trustees would like to wish Minnie and all her children a Merry Christmas. We are all hoping and praying Maria makes a full and speedy recovery.

Minnie and Maria received their hamper on Thursday evening 22nd December. They were both thrilled and touched with everyone’s generosity.

“This appeal is exactly why the trust was set up,” said Trust chairman Ray Collins, “Helping a desperate local mum facing being apart from her four other children and friends at Christmas to care for a very poorly daughter miles away was a no brainer. The Trustees didn’t hesitate to put together a huge hamper full of treats and staple foods to see Minnie and Maria through this tough time.”

Then, on Thursday 22nd December, Trustees from The Ray Collins Charitable Trust were joined by some naughty elves from Santa’s workshop. Together they delivered several hundred pounds worth of Christmas presents and Christmas food to a local family with a seriously ill parent. The Trust had raised funds the month before at our Chilli Quiz Night, to help this family get through Christmas at the toughest of times.

We purchased Christmas presents including brand new Christmas outfits for the three children aged 3, 5 and 8 as their mum would have done, Kindles, Paw Patrol toys, One Direction items, a huge turkey and all the trimmings, puddings, fruit, veg, Christmas crackers, cheese boards, biscuits, chestnuts, chocolates and much more to last through the holidays. We also hope to pay for a day trip during the holidays for the family to a venue of their choice.

We would like to thank everyone who supported our Quiz Night, including Dews Meadow Farm Shop, Peter Ledbury Ltd and KA Fitness. Thank you for enabling this wonderful family to have as enjoyable a Christmas as is possible at this extremely worrying time. Let’s hope 2017 brings them the greatest gift of all.

Our Partners