A nursery in Thornaby has joined forces with a local health and well-being food charity to support its Christmas drive through.

Rosedene, which has a setting at Sunrise Children’s Centre, not far from The Amal Project’s EcoShop in Thornaby, joined other local businesses and individuals by donating time and resources to help others over the holidays.

The drive invited members of the community to provide food essentials for those who need it most during what can be a difficult time of year. 

Children from Rosedene’s Sunrise setting filled their backpacks with donations before stacking shelves at the community hub and joining others in the festive tradition of giving back to the local community.

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Rosedene nursery regularly attends community events, such as the Christmas drive-through, as a way of developing the children’s social skills as well as understanding the importance of interacting with people in the local area.

The Amal Project was established during the pandemic to provide tailored food hampers which meet the dietary requirements of Stockton borough’s BAME community.

The EcoShop at Arlington Park was set up in partnership with Sprouts Community Food Charity to allow people to purchase affordable food and home products donated by local businesses and individuals.

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Jess Mawby, marketing manager at Rosedene, said: “At Rosedene, we believe in teaching the children about how to be a good neighbor. We always encourage them to be kind and generous, but at Christmas, this is especially important.

“This donation today is part of a wider effort across Rosedene to help our communities. We asked parents from all settings to donate any items they could and we were blown away by the generosity.

“We look forward to working with The Amal Project and other similar organisations in the new year.”

Sahida Ditta, founder of The Amal Project, said: “When the children came through the door, it was so nice to see their lovely, happy smiling faces. They came in and they were all ready to stack the shelves with the food that they brought.

“Our eco shop is a community-wide project, so it’s great when local organisations come together to support us. I also think it’s fantastic for children of such a young age are learning about helping others and giving to people less fortunate than themselves.”

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