Oxfam Wokingham Launches Christmas Poverty Appeal
Oxfam Wokingham
Oxfam Wokingham Launches Christmas Poverty Appeal: – Oxfam’s Wokingham shop team has set itself a December fundraising target of £500 to support the charity’s work in fighting poverty and inequality here in the UK. Having already raised just under £2,000 in its Christmas period appeals for Safe Water in 2015 & 2016, the team is hoping to beat this year’s target by a wide margin again.
“Oxfam encourages local shops to try to raise extra money for specific causes in the run-up to Christmas,” says Claire Mingham-Smith, Wokingham shop manager. “Sounding out our large team of volunteers this year, there was a general consensus that Oxfam’s charity efforts right here in the UK are less well understood than our emergency response and long-term development work in many struggling areas around the world.”
“For example, Oxfam is helping people here in the UK to learn new skills, and campaigns to tackle job inequality. It also works to end the growing dependence on food banks in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Oxfam’s 650+ shops around the UK also do their best to provide work experience and development opportunities through the many volunteer roles available to people in communities throughout England, Scotland and Wales.”
Peach Street Shop
The 50+ team of volunteers who keep the Wokingham shop at 42-50 Peach Street running smoothly will be holding a cake sale in support of the UK poverty appeal on Wednesday, 13 December, together with ‘Lucky Dip’ and other in-store fund-raising efforts. A colourful poster displaying current donations vs the appeal target is strategically positioned behind the till, so customers can see how the appeal is doing as the month progresses.
“We’ve set ourselves a target of £500 in each of the last two years, and smashed it both times,” Mingham-Smith says. “We’re certainly aiming to smash it again in 2017!”
