This has been our busiest year in the 8 years of doing Doorways.
So on top of doing the street kitchen every Tuesday evening in Derby city centre, running the food bank every fortnight, having daily collections from supermarkets to put on the tables and picking emergency food parcels at short notice on professional referrals to the most vulnerable this is what we have done.
In February we had a storage building and car port built to make it easier and more accessible for us to run the charity.
At Easter we distributed 800 plus Easter eggs at our food bank, street kitchen, schools, nurseries and care homes.
In May we were invited to Buckingham Palace gardens for tea as part of the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme awards ceremony for the work we do with our 3 students who do their award with us.
In the summer holidays we distributed 1000 breakfast bags over the six weeks holidays with the support from Sainsburys Argos Osmaston and Argos Kingsway.
Then in September Mike Brain from Hannells messaged for the second year running to ask if we running a Christmas Appeal again, he informed us that they would manage 500 families this year. Of course Lisa said that as a Charity we could manage that.
In November we put out the advent calendar appeal and through everyone’s amazing donations received just over 1400 to give out in the community to service users, schools and care homes.
Then it was full steam ahead with the Christmas appeal.
True to his word Mike fundraised just over £20,000 from himself and lots of other local businesses through his contacts to supply 500 families Christmas dinners, board games, selection boxes and gifts for the children. These were distributed over 2 days in December.
Thank you also to Moy Park, Ashbourne for donating chickens and turkeys to the cause. Thank you to Rachel Murt for organising these.
Thank you Kale and Corn for their continued fresh fruit and veg donations for the second year running, Fairfax meadows for the pigs in blankets, fruit and veg boxes and the extra turkeys.
Overall we have supported 1000 adults and 950 children with a Christmas dinner this year.
Huge thank you to all the individuals, businesses sports groups, schools and so many others that have fundraised, purchased and donated gifts for us to distribute to those who would not have had a gift on Christmas Day.
We have been overwhelmed with the huge amount of support which we have received and the help that contributed to making a lot of happy families throughout 2023.
Massive thank you for the amazing Amazon wish list donations that arrive daily from so many individuals from both our essential item lists and Amazon Christmas list.
But most importantly our team of amazing volunteers at the food bank:
Michelle Smith
Chloe Horne
Maragaret Drew
Jimmy Duffy
Jackie Doyle
Jas Johal
Leo
Our great D of E students who have continued to volunteer:
Keahan Alisa and Annabel
Our street kitchen volunteers:
Claire Goodwin
Katy Last
Alison Irvine
Nicola Eckersley
Allison Richards
Sarah Simpson
Cheryl Horlock
Alysha Boudir
Matt Lane
Susan Wilkinson
Mandy Boudir
Ade Akhtar
Charlotte Last
Jimmy Duffy
Leo
Our behind the scenes team:
Mandy Boudir
Lauren Wheatley
Julie Bailey and Kevin Bailey
Our trustees:
Nigel Groom
Dawn Nicole
Ade Akhtar
Lissa Wheatley and myself
Tallying up the numbers for 2023 ,we gave out over 3500 food parcels taking our numbers of food parcels to over 35000 since March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic.
So with a very happy heart for hopefully making a difference both myself and Lisa would like to wish everyone a very happy new year.
Here’s to 2024.
Thankyou
Craig & Lisa Wheatley