Kettering food project hits target of 200 Christmas meals and toy donations

A volunteer-run food project has handed over 200 Christmas food and toy parcels to needy families across the town and district thanks to the generosity of residents and businesses.

Claire Gurney, founder of The Shack Food Project, has been running the food bank and one-stop outlet in Lower Street for people needing clothes, equipment, and providing practical help to families and individuals in the greatest need.

The Geddington mum-of-four with her team of volunteers have been working tirelessly preparing the boxed kits of fresh ingredients for 200 families to enjoy a festive meal.

As well as the food parcels, families will receive new presents including a book, a teddy, a toy and a selection box.

Claire said: "I have had messages from people already saying that they couldn't do Christmas without us.

"Some people would have struggled to have a fresh cooked dinner on Christmas Day and something to give the children. Children shouldn't go without at Christmas."

In November, project volunteers celebrated its first year at their Lower Street shop HQ and launched their Christmas appeal. Claire and her team have been sent toys and gifts by individuals, businesses, schools and families including DeType, Smiths Fire, Jamie the Butcher and Grange Resource Centre.

Each family is gifted a box containing carrots, potatoes, brussel sprouts, parsnips, a chicken, Yorkshire pudding mix and gravy.

Fresh food has been donated by Morrisons and Tesco, and parcels have been topped up with help from the Northamptonshire Community Fund.

Using the donations the project has also donated a special gift - a PS5 - to one little girl who was due to spend Christmas in hospital.

Claire added: "Thank you to everybody who donated to the project over the year. We shall be here again next year to keep helping those people in need."

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