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In the lead up to Christmas, staff of Peterborough-based Whirlpool UK Appliances (the parent company of KitchenAid, Whirlpool, Hotpoint and Indesit) donated items to three local initiatives: the Peterborough Christmas Shoebox Appeal, Peterborough Soup Kitchen and Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice.
On behalf of the Peterborough Christmas Shoebox Appeal, the staff donated shoeboxes containing items such as toiletries, books, tinned food, clothes and biscuits. The Appeal was established to support elderly people living in sheltered accommodation in the community, many of who may not have family, or have family that are unable to visit them during the Christmas period. Including donations from Whirlpool UK, the Appeal collected more than 350 boxes in 2019, which were distributed amongst eight sheltered accommodation units, as well as to elderly patients receiving care at Peterborough City Hospital, on Christmas Eve.
Whirlpool UK staff also donated a number of food items, including tins and jars, tea and coffee, biscuits, chocolate and sweets, to the Peterborough Soup Kitchen: a charity for homeless and disadvantaged people living in and around the city. The charity operates from a kitchen in the Millfield Community Centre with volunteers who, in total, dedicate over 7,662 hours each year. They distribute soup, hot and cold drinks, sandwiches and takeaway food from a specially adapted serving van in the city centre. The donated food was used to help feed the 30-50 people that rely on the Peterborough Soup Kitchen for their meals every day.
Christmas selection boxes donated by Whirlpool UK staff were given to the Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice in Peterborough. Sue Ryder’s team of doctors, nurses and carers provide expert palliative care and support for people living with life-limiting conditions. The hospice is the only specialist palliative care inpatient unit in the city and also offers a ‘Hospice at Home’ service for patients living in communities in and around Peterborough. The donated boxes were given to children and family members visiting loved ones at the hospice over the Christmas period.
Ian Moverley, UK corporate reputation and public affairs director of Whirlpool UK Appliances, said: “Whirlpool UK is committed to supporting the charities and local initiatives that work tirelessly for our community. Proving that Christmas is a time for giving, our colleagues were keen to get involved, generously donating a number of items to give something back to the disadvantaged living in our local area, as well as to the family members of those receiving life-prolonging treatment.”
Whirlpool UK staff donated items to three initiatives in their local community
