Dunelm calls on Kettering customers to help deliver joy to their local community this Christmas

Dunelm is launching its third Delivering Joy campaign to help spread festive cheer to local communities this Christmas.

As part of the initiative, Dunelm’s Kettering store is also calling out for crafty customers to get involved in its in-store Knit & Stitch workshops.

Knitters of all abilities, from beginners to pros, got involved by signing up to the free, in-store workshop earlier this month.

During the workshop customers helped create scarves, hats and gloves, as well as squares that will be put together to create cosy blankets which will all be donated to Kingsley Special Academy and Elm Bank Retirement Village.

For those who want to donate in a more traditional way, shoppers simply need to take a pre-written tag from the store’s Delivering Joy Christmas tree, which details a much needed gift tailored to a local anonymous person, perhaps from a local primary school, care home or shelter.

Shoppers then return an appropriate gift to the store before December 11, attached with the original tag, where it will be donated onwards to a local individual in need.

The Delivering Joy initiative started in 2020 to help support individuals and local organisations who were struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since helped deliver more than 40,000 gifts to people in need across the nation.

Dunelm Kettering is also appealing for donations of any pre-loved Christmas decorations.

Customers can handover donations in store before Sunday, December 11, which will see them go on to be donated to a school and care home to help spread some festive cheer.

Tamara Tonsley, store manager at Dunelm Kettering, said: “Following the success of the Delivering Joy campaign over the last few years we can’t wait to see what this year brings.

"The new Knit & Stitch initiative is one we are very excited about as it will help to deliver even more joy to people in Kettering who without the generosity of our community, may have otherwise gone without this Christmas.

“Our hope is that by offering cost-free initiatives, we are making it easier for customers to continue to contribute to the community and become a meaningful Secret Santa for those who need it most.”

Janice Dunn, Dunelm’s head of community, said: "Delivering Joy is taking place in all our stores across the UK but it is a campaign that truly has local community at its' heart.

"Each store identifies causes close to home that will most benefit from the generosity of our customers and colleagues and does everything needed to ensure that all the gifts donated, and more, are safely received by the intended recipient.

"I know the team at our Kettering store are working really hard to make sure that this year we are able to deliver more joy than ever before.”

All 177 Dunelm stores across the country will be taking part in the Delivering Joy campaign with the brand calling on customers to take part to support their local care homes, schools and refuges.

To find out more how you can get involved, visit https://www.dunelm.com/info/delivering-joy.