Making a special ‘wish’ For Mission Christmas

27th November 2023

Having been named one of the top fundraisers in the East Midlands last year by Mission Christmas, Peter James Homes has once again pledged to support disadvantaged children in the region.

Last year, we collected some 432 new unwrapped gifts for children and young people of all ages as part of an annual campaign run by charity Cash for Kids. And this year, we are upping our game with a raft of fundraising events including the introduction of a ‘Wish Tree’ at our Woodland Heights development in Bulbridge.

The huge mountain of gifts donated by the company in 2022

MaryClaire Morgan, sales and customer care manager for Peter James Homes, said: “We are embracing the Christmas spirit once again this year and will be inviting our residents to visit our ‘wish station’ in the sales office at our Woodland Heights development.

“Families will be able to collect a clear bauble, place their Christmas wish inside and hang it on our newly planted community Christmas tree at the development. All we ask in return is a donation to the Mission Christmas appeal.”

We will be planting a 5ft Nordmann fir tree, supplied by local firm Mr Christmas, at Woodland Heights. The tree will grow with the community and will hopefully become a festive focus at the development. A launch event will be held on December 7 to make the occasion alongside the team at Bagshaws Residential.

Peter James Homes, along with our infrastructure partner J McCann & Co Ltd, is a responsible builder that aims to give back to the local and wider community as well as creating quality, ‘built to last’ family homes. Last year, the two companies encouraged our generous suppliers, subcontractors and consultants to take part and the response was outstanding.

Supporting various campaigns, the focus of this Christmas is to ensure that every child wakes up to a gift on Christmas morning.

Mission Christmas is the largest Christmas toy appeal in the UK. The campaign encourages those who can afford to do so, to buy one extra gift this year. The extra gift is then donated, helping disadvantaged young people and children who are living in poverty.

Cash for Kids works with thousands of grass-root organisations across the UK who, along with assistance from social workers, head teachers and the emergency services, nominate families in crisis to be supported by the appeal.

Locally, Mission Christmas fundraised £125,925 and supported 5,037 children in the East Midlands. The Midlands overall totals were £417,875 raised and an outstanding 16,715 children woke up to gifts on Christmas Day.

As in previous years, Peter James Homes is acting as a registered drop-off point for Mission Christmas gifts. A donation box has been set up in the foyer of our headquarters in Nottingham Road, Chilwell, Nottingham.

Simon Gardiner, Managing Director at Peter James Homes, said: “It is heartbreaking to think that a child wouldn’t have a gift to open at Christmas.

“Christmas is about giving, caring for our communities and helping those who find themselves less fortunate than others for whatever reason. We want to do our little bit to make sure at least one day a year, children across the county know they are loved by their wider community. It is an honour for us to support such a worthwhile cause.”

Peter James Homes and J McCann & Co Ltd. staff will also be embracing Christmas Jumper day on Thursday, December 7, in a bid to smash our 2023 fund-raising target. Last year the joint firms raised £1,405 towards the cause.

Support from Peter James Homes and McCann Ltd continues with teams volunteering to help wrap gifts at Mission Christmas’s HQ in Colwick.

MaryClaire added: “We are always absolutely overwhelmed by the generosity of our new home buyers, our suppliers, subcontractors and consultants. It is heartbreaking to think that while we are watching our families enjoy the festivities, a child elsewhere could be seeing Christmas as ‘just another day’. These donations are a signal to children in our local community that they are special and thought of by their neighbours.”

Peter James Homes HQ is a registered drop off point for donations of new gifts for Mission Christmas. Alternatively you can donate towards the company fundraising page at: https://www.cashforkidsgive.co.uk/campaign/mission-christmas-2023-east-mids-fundraising/fundraisers/peter-james-homes-mccann/