Well, what a December! Giddo’s Gift has been in full swing this festive season, marked by the generosity of our wonderful community. Here’s a look at all the amazing things that have happened this month – and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who made it all possible.
Christmas Gift Bag Appeal
Our annual Christmas Gift Bag Appeal is one of the highlights of our year. Since 2018, we have compiled personalised bags of toys, treats and gifts to distribute to the young people, teenagers and children on the 6 hospital wards we support – because we ought to live in a world where no child has to receive treatment on Christmas Day.
Thanks to your incredible donations, we’ve been able to prepare over 100 gift bags filled with thoughtful presents for young patients spending Christmas on oncology wards. These bags are a small way to spread joy and show these incredible fighters that they’re not alone. A massive thank you to our ambassadors and trustees who will be delivering these gift bags over the holiday season – this is what Christmas is all about.
We’d also like to extend a special thanks staff at M&S, who spent a day earlier this month organising the hundreds of gifts into personalised bags, and to Alisha, the Welsh Baccalaureate student who volunteered her time to help sort and pack these gifts. Your hard work made such a difference.
We were also blown away by the generosity of Grosvenor Insurance, whose employees donated a phenomenal haul of gifts – thank you so much for making this appeal a success. We also owe a huge thank you to Mark Beck for his generous donation, and to the Toyota Manufacturing UK Charitable Trust for their Community Grant that helped fund this year’s Gift Bag project.
A huge thank you to Reid & Roberts and Candid Cards for making their premises drop-off points for raffle donations. Your support and the generosity of the community and local businesses are what make projects like this possible. A supportive community is for life, not just for Christmas, and we are truly grateful to each and everyone one of you who donated.
Christmas Raffle & Hampers
Another December tradition is our annual Christmas Raffle, and this year has been a smashing success. Thank you to all of our wonderful community, local businesses and supporters for your generous donations for the three hampers. Three lucky winners took home the luxury large food hamper, the drinks hamper, and the chocolate hamper – we hope you enjoy it all this Christmas! Congratulations to the winner of a £100 meat voucher courtesy of Tony Doyle – your generosity amazes us and we are so grateful for your continued support.
This year’s raffle raised a total of £782.39 so thank you to each and every one of you who supported this cause.
Hays Travel
We loved getting into the festive spirit with the team at Hays Travel in Flint on Saturday 21st December! Held at the British Legion in Flint, the night was definitely one of joy and celebration with a buffet, live music, and a DJ into the small hours.
A huge thank you to the team who have supported our charity for many years – not only with fundraising, but in helping spread awareness of childhood and teenage cancer during our Go Gold Awareness Month in September. As ever your team went above and beyond to organise a fantastic event which raised a substantial amount for our charity. Thank you!
HSBC Winter Ball
What a night! The HSBC Winter Ball was an evening to remember, raising over £3,000 for Giddo’s Gift. We had incredible prizes including local restaurant vouchers, signed sports memorabilia, fitness classes and more.
To top it off, HSBC has match-funded this incredible amount, doubling its impact, meaning twice as many young people will be positively impacted by Giddo’s Gift in 2025.
A massive shout out to Helen and Kat, whose dedication and tireless organisation made the event such a success. Everyone looked amazing, and the evening was a testament to the power of community coming together for a good cause.
Christmas Jumper Days
Thank you to Brooke Storage for hosting a festive Christmas Jumper Day for your team this December! Not only do we appreciate the funds raised on this day, but we appreciate how you’re helping to keep Jord’s memory alive in a colourful way. Thank you.
Wreath-Making Afternoon Tea at Highfield Hall
This month, we hosted a Wreath-Making Afternoon Tea at the beautiful Highfield Hall, complete with afternoon tea. Guests created stunning wreaths to take home while enjoying festive treats.
Thank you to Maureen for putting on such a lovely, calming event for our guests.
The feedback has been wonderful, and we have provisionally booked another wreathmaking session for Christmas 2025. Let us know what other events you would love to see next year!
Holywell Christmas Light Switch-On
This year marked our return to the Holywell Christmas Light Switch-On. We really felt it was important to make our presence known not just in the town of Flint, but in other parts of Flintshire, as we support teenagers and young adults across the whole county – and the North West! The turnout was fantastic, and the event truly got everyone into the festive spirit.
A big thank you to Holywell Town Council for their support and to our ambassadors and trustees who manned the tombola and raffle. But the big question remains – who won the giant teddy?!
Giddo’s Memory Tree
Every hear, we pay tribute to our heroes in heaven by decorating a blue true with knitted angels.
These decorations represent all of our young loved ones that were taken too soon by cancer. Members of the public are welcome to make a donation and place and angel and a handwritten card on the tree.
This year, the tree sits proudly in the entrance of Flint library – Giddo shining away and bringing light to so many people.
Family Walk
A special thank you to Rose and her family, who organised a walk around Wepre this month, raising £70 for Giddo’s Gift. Your efforts remind us of the power of walking together in memory of loved ones and the healing that comes with community.
Looking Back on 2024
As we wrap up another year, we reflect on everything we’ve achieved together. Jordan’s legacy continues to shine brightly through the lives we touch, and we know he would be so proud of all we’ve done in his name.
Christmas is a time for family, and though ours will never be the same without Jordan, his spirit lives on in every act of kindness and generosity we witness.
So, from all of us at Giddo’s Gift: Merry Christmas, Jord. We hope it’s a good one for you up in heaven. Thank you to everyone who has supported us this December and throughout the year. Together, we’ve made a difference. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
The Giddo’s Gift Team