In the lead up to the festive period, Exemplar Health Care homes donated over 550 advent calendars to local communities, including food banks, children’s wards, schools and community centres.
The initiative, led by Clinical Nurse Manager, Anna-Marie from Blackmoor, marked the home’s first organised advent calendar collection.
Inspired by her own experiences, Anna-Marie launched the campaign to give back and highlight the impact of small acts of kindness during the Christmas season.
Anna-Marie shared: “We wanted to do something meaningful to celebrate the festive season and support children in our community. An advent calendar might seem like a small gesture, but it carries the excitement of Christmas and reminds these children that they are thought of.”
Having run similar collections since starting her Nurse training in 2013, Anna-Marie rallied the team at Blackmoor by creating posters and spreading the word during morning huddles.
The response was overwhelming - colleagues embraced the initiative wholeheartedly, with some contributing up to 40 calendars each.
The total surpassed 300 calendars, which were delivered by Blackmoor’s Activities Team and resident, Craig, a military veteran.
Anna-Marie reflected on the team’s effort: “The response was incredible. It showed the real sense of teamwork in our home, and everyone felt proud to be part of something that would make a difference. I wish I could bottle up that feeling!”
The campaign’s success inspired others within Exemplar Health Care.
After hearing Blackmoor’s story, an individual supported at Meadowcroft expressed her wish to bring the initiative to children in their local community.
With the support of the team, she delivered 265 advent calendars and selection boxes to a local school.
Charlie Mills, Deputy Manager at Meadowcroft, commented: “This was our first time taking part in an advent calendar collection, and it was amazing to see how the whole team and community came together.
“The response was incredible, and delivering the donations to the children was truly magical - seeing their happy faces made it all worthwhile.”
The initiative also inspired other homes such as Shire Oaks Court in Walsall and Laurel Place in Country Durham to carry out their own donation drives, highlighting the ripple effect of Anna-Marie’s efforts.
Looking ahead, our homes are planning new fundraising and donation activities to strengthen their ties with the local community and continue spreading kindness throughout the year.
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