27 Nov intu Lakeside continues to make a meaningful difference to the local community this Christmas
The countdown to Christmas day has already begun for thousands of shoppers in Essex and this year intu Lakeside continues to deliver positive change and make a meaningful difference to the community this December.
For the fourth year running, intu Lakeside is proud to partner with the Thurrock Council Give a Gift scheme; offering shoppers the opportunity to donate a Christmas present to a local child in care for whom Christmas can be a difficult time of year.
Open from Monday 25 November to Sunday 8 December 2019, the Give A Gift unit is located at intu Lakeside, with a special store on Level 1, next to HSBC at the House of Fraser end of the shopping centre.
In the store, shoppers choose a star from the Christmas tree, each one representing a child. They purchase an age appropriate gift and bring it back to the Give a Gift volunteers who will ensure they are wrapped and delivered to each child in time for Christmas morning.
2019 also saw intu Lakeside start their 18-month partnership with Little Havens Hospice, a charity that provides respite and end of life care for children and young people across Essex that are aged between 0-19 years and have life-limiting conditions. To build upon the £18,000 already raised so far, shoppers will be offered the chance to offer further support to the local charity this Christmas. Take the fuss out of gift giving and head to our Gift Wrapping service between 19th-24th December in exchange for a donation and on Friday 13th December intu Lakeside staff will be taking part in National Christmas Jumper day and taking donations throughout the centre.
intu Lakeside will also play host to a variety of local choirs and charities who will be treating shoppers to festive music, making them smile and bringing joy throughout the Christmas period.
Howard Oldstein, regional centre director at intu said: “We invest millions in our centres and their local communities every year. This allows us to create long-lasting and positive change by delivering skills, employment and health and wellbeing.”
“Our partnerships with local organisations have gone from strength to strength as we work together on initiatives that bring prosperity and encourage inclusivity. At intu, we’re guided by our culture and values and supporting our local communities are a huge part of this; together we’re continuing to deliver positive change. Particularly at Christmas, making a meaningful difference is incredibly important and so we work with a range of local charities to raise awareness, funds and promote their services”
