Community generosity brings festive cheer to Derventio residents

Thanks to the incredible generosity of local businesses, schools and community groups, every Derventio Housing Trust resident received a Christmas gift this year.

Our annual Christmas appeal brought together a brilliant group of supporters, including Shacklocks, NFU Mutual, Ripley Academy and Chesterfield Rotary, all helping to ensure that no resident was forgotten at Christmas.

Shacklocks continued their long-standing support by donating festive gift boxes for residents across Derbyshire, marking eight years of backing the appeal. NFU Mutual staff once again created beautifully wrapped boxes for residents in Warwickshire, making this their third consecutive year supporting the trust. Students at Ripley Academy showed the true spirit of Christmas for the 14th year in a row, donating hundreds of gifts to residents in Amber Valley. Chesterfield Rotary also played a vital role, helping us reach residents who might otherwise have missed out.

For many of our residents, Christmas can be a difficult time, often spent away from friends and family with limited resources. The generosity of our supporters brought smiles and festive cheer, creating meaningful moments that made a real difference to wellbeing and morale.

To show our gratitude, we’ve created a thank you video which shares the impact of the appeal and the joy it brought to residents.

We would also like to thank the staff who helped sort, distribute and hand out the gift boxes. Their care and dedication ensured every resident received a festive surprise, making this Christmas truly special.

The success of this appeal is a reminder of the power of community. Together, supporters and staff alike made Christmas brighter for people rebuilding their lives and provided a tangible message that they are valued and remembered.