Enhancing Village Life in Duffield

Duffield (Christmas) Cheer

THANK YOU DUFFIELD – YOU DID IT.

Without the amazing contributions from a huge range of people –both young and old(er) – we could not have turned the idea of bringing some Christmas Cheer to elders across the village to fruition.

Ultimately just under 140 hampers were delivered to some 165 people enjoyed the surprise of unwrapping their hampers and enjoying the handmade produce, gifts, cards, poems, stories and a lovely array of goods donated by individuals and local businesses. Seeing the time, care and creativity people had put into hand making items for the hampers was at times overwhelming.

The number of children and adults who made and/or donated goods for the hampers is incalculable, it numbers in the hundreds.

Add to that the amount of time given by volunteers and hopefully the picture of what a tremendous collective community effort this was becomes clearer.  Volunteers who rallied support, organised collection and delivery of items ready for packing, matched volunteers to rounds, contacted recipients, made up the flat pack hampers, set up and then packed and wrapped the hampers, and finally those volunteers who delivered them and spent time talking to recipients.

It’s important to acknowledge the pivotal role many people played in making Christmas Cheer happen:

  • The Good Neighbours project who took the lead on all the work no one saw around logistics, administration, organising volunteers and the Covid safe packing and delivery of the hampers.
  • Children from Duffield Guides and Scouts who made   cards, decorations, gifts, wrote letters & poems, donated chocolates and lots of other items.
  • Pupils at William Gilbert School & Lower School pupils at Ecclesbourne who made cards, calendar’s, wrote Christmas wishes and letters and decorations.
  • Trefoil Guild members who knitted Christmas tree decorations.
  • Members of all three WI groups who handmade marmalade, Jam and Christmas crackers and donated other items.
  • Members of the congregation at St Alkmund’s Church who donated an array of items.
  • The DuCS volunteers, Father Christmas and DELFie, who helped deliver hampers and the team of people who stepped up at very short notice to turn a mountain of flat pack cardboard into useable hampers!
  • Duffield Community Association, Emmanuel Community projects and Western Power Community Matters Festive Fund who all granted vital funding to assist with the delivery of the project.

The following businesses supported Project Cheer at a difficult time for them: Croots, the Co-op, Eliza’s florists, Derby Garden Centre Little Eaton and Meynell Langley Gardens, Lucy Cooke at Home Cooke’d.

Together we achieved what we set out to do. Roll on Spring Cheer 2021.

Nicola Dalby & Claire Stevens Project Cheer (bringing some comfort or encouragement, lightness of spirit or mood, gaiety or joy, to restore hope-a message of cheer’).

Here is a selection of photos (click on the image to see the full photo)

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