December 12, 2017 3.59 pm This story is over 74 months old

Lincoln church group brings festive cheer with gifts to 500 needy families

Spreading festive cheer to needy families.

The old Ruddocks store on Lincoln High Street has been taken over temporarily to provide over 500 needy families with Christmas presents this December.

Volunteers from Bridge Church Lincoln have been working like elves wrapping and delivering Santa sacks to families across Lincolnshire.

Christmas Sacks started ten years ago, but this year has been the biggest year to date, with over 150 people volunteering to help out.

The scheme looks to give donated gifts to families in need and will also provide 330 families with food hampers.

Photo: Guy Owen for The Lincolnite

Sian Wade runs the Community Larder at Bridge Church Lincoln. She told The Lincolnite: “We’ve been running it for the last ten years and this year has been our biggest ever. 501 families will receive sacks this year and 330 families will also receive food hampers.

“Ten years ago we were approached by a group who had lots of donations to give to families in need, so we decided as Bridge Church that we would administrate this project.

“We started off with one children’s centre and now it’s exploded to 40-50 referrers who refer families to our project.

“All the gifts we give out is to people of Lincoln, Gainsborough and some areas in Lincolnshire.

Photo: Guy Owen for The Lincolnite

“The gifts have either been donated or we have been donated cash so that we can buy gifts.

“People have been amazingly generous this year.

“Trees have been donated from Tesco and the Waterside Shopping Centre, and businesses such as Siemens and RAF Waddington have donated lots of gifts.

“We had 150 and 200 people volunteer over the last week to sort and wrap all of the presents.”