In addition, the report goes on to say that families will lose £200 a month under the new system. Claire Hopkins (St Saviour's Sunbury) responded saying "It's a depressing statement that a policy that was intended to help people on lower incomes will end up penalizing them financially".

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

1. GIVE A CHRISTMAS GIFT CAMPAIGN

Hundreds of new unwrapped toys and gifts have already been donated for children who might not otherwise receive a Christmas present.  The gifts will then be chosen by parents for each child; we will wrap the presents and give them stocking fillers and a family Christmas Day bag with chocolates. Christmas crackers, games, mince pies, selection boxes, etc...

Over the last few years many chlldren and young people have benefited from gifts donated to The Community Foodbank: By giving a gift to our Christmas Present Appeal you can make a real difference in someone's life at Christmas.

The campaign continues with an opportunity for people in and around Sunbury to donate a Christmas present which will again be selected by the parent; wrapped and given to a child who probably won't get a Christmas present this year due to financial or social reasons.

I am a mother and appreciate the moments of watching your children open a present on Christmas morning, but, also realise the cost implication in doing so.

We need to receive any presents by the 12th December.

2. FESTIVE DECORATIONS APPEAL

Our Festive Decorations Appeal is for donations of good condition baubles, tinsel and other unwanted Christmas decorations. Do you have a Christmas box full of stuff? It comes down from the loft once a year and then goes back up, so why not donate anything you don't need for a local family in need?

You can leave them in the trolley at Tesco’s Sunbury, St Saviour’s Sunbury or Tony’s hairdressers on Vicarage road.

3. DO A REVERSE ADVENT CALENDAR

Do a Reverse Advent Calendar What is a reverse advent calendar? Reverse advent calendars work by you filling them every day with with items of food that can then be taken to our local food bank in Sunbury, in order to help those less fortunate that are struggling at Christmas time.

After gathering in date non-perishable items all month, you can take everything you've saved to St Saviour's Sunbury, 205 Vicarage Road, Sunbury, TW16 7TP on Christmas Eve at 4pm to the family Nativity Play.

Not only is this a fun thing for the whole work place to do together, from creating the advent calendar structure itself to picking the goodies to go in it, it more importantly teaches us the importance of helping others and seeing the bigger picture at Christmas.

So if you want to do something a little different this year, you could create an advent calendar that you put something in every day instead of taking something out.

For more information please get in touch:

Claire Hopkins Social Transformation Pastor 07549 952161 community@stsaviourssunbury.org.uk