Graduate at Clowes Developments sets up donation bank for Shelter UK and Derby City Mission this Christmas

Clowes Developments’ Graduate, Jenny McCrea has set up a donation bank at the group’s head office, Ednaston Park in Ashbourne with the aim of supporting individuals and families in need this Christmas.

Since joining the group in September, Jenny has fully embraced her role in the Land and Planning team at Clowes and has already been involved in bringing forward a brand new site, Pleasley Hill in Mansfield. Jenny has also volunteered to join the group’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) committee, taking a real interest in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) element of the strategy.

Jenny McCrea, Graduate Surveyor at Clowes Developments commented,

Inspired by our ESG committee meetings, I wanted to organise something simple but effective for employees to get involved with a CSR initiative this Christmas. My colleagues and I were discussing homelessness and people struggling to feed themselves and their family this winter. It sparked the idea that there may be ways we can do something to help with that.

I looked into local food banks and found Derby City Mission who provide food parcels and supplies such as toiletries, blankets and clothing to those who need it in the Derby area. On a national scale, Shelter UK have a charity shop donation drive where you can send items to them which are sold in their shops across the UK helping to fund Shetler UKs mission.

Our donations boxes are set up in the office and colleagues have already started bringing items in. I cannot wait to see how we do and pass on the goods to those who really need them this winter.

Derby City Mission (DCM) founded in 1989, initially began providing Christmas meals to senior citizens. DCM established the nation’s first food bank; they now supply an average of 800 food parcels every year. DCM also offer other services for people in crisis, like ‘Safe Space’ for Derby’s rough sleepers, ‘ByMySide Project’ for those struggling with addictions, ‘My Place’ for those recently out of prison, and for people in the community, there is a ‘Street Pastor’ programme. More information about DCM can be found here: https://www.derbycitymission.org.uk/

Shelter UK believe a home is a fundamental right, A safe home is the foundation on which our lives are built. It opens the door to employment, health, education, and is the basis of strong communities.

Millions of people in Britain are denied the right to a safe home. Shelter exists to defend that right. As part of HSBC UK’s partnership with Shelter, they’re proudly sponsoring a ‘sort and send service’ where you can send your charity shop items to Shelter shops for free by dropping off preloved items at any Yodel drop-off point. More information can be found here: https://england.shelter.org.uk/support_us/shops/donate_to_a_shelter_shop/sort_and_send

Clowes representatives will be delivering the donated food and warm supplies to the Derby City Mission hub located on Normanton Road in Derby and sending off the donations to Shelter the week before Christmas. If you would like to support their donation drive, please email [email protected] to find out how you can get involved.