The Giving Tree is our annual charitable present-giving endeavour to support children of the St Francis Family Centre in Poplar, East London.
Here’s a bit about the Centre (which is run by the Catholic Children’s Society), to show how valuable this scheme is…
St Francis Family Centre
St Francis is based in Poplar, Tower Hamlets. The area has the highest rate of child poverty in the country, more than double the national average. Many of the families we work with live in crowded and dilapidated accommodation and struggle to afford basic essentials for their children.
The family centre works in partnership with parents to provide outstanding pre-school education, giving disadvantaged children the best possible start in life. It supports families who have no one else to turn to. This includes mothers who have fled domestic abuse and children with complex social, emotional and behavioural issues.
Why this is needed
The most crucial stage in children’s development is their first few years of life. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds frequently begin primary school lagging far behind their more affluent peers.
It is vital that disadvantaged children receive the support they need at an early stage, so they can make a successful transition to school and achieve their full potential.
Presents and Hampers at Christmas complement the services the family centre provides and brings a good dose of Christmas cheer!
How do I take part?
This year, following the success of previous year’s collection, we are continuing to make use of an online Wishlist with Amazon. The advantage of this means that the Centre can receive the gifts directly and we can keep the process simple, convenient and covid-secure.
Once on the wishlist page, choose your gift and then click “add to basket”. Once you are happy with your choice, head to the checkout in the usual way.
Important Note: Once you have clicked on “checkout”, be careful when you get to the page entitled “Choose your delivery address”. We are sending the gifts directly to the St Francis Centre, so You MUST click on “Other Addresses” and choose the Giving Tree 2023’s Gift Registry Address
See the screenshot below:
Please remember…
Gifts need to be received by the Centre by Wednesday 13 December, so please order your gift to arrive by then. Tuesday 12 December would be the last day for Prime deliveries please!
And finally, a word of thanks, in advance, from Margaret, on behalf of those working at the Centre itself:
Dear Fr Peter,
I just wanted to say thank you so very much for your support again this year. It is incredibly generous of you & the parishioners at such difficult times to be supporting our families again this Christmas. As you know this is a very difficult time of the year, but it has definitely been escalated this year – so your generosity & kindness will mean so very much to our families, as it does to all of us here”
