• Swindon & Wiltshire Community champions
• Tuesday December 17 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Packaging business provides third year of support for loneliness charity

Protective packaging manufacturer GWP is helping the Marmalade Trust bring festive cheer to hundreds of local people for a third consecutive year.

Having worked with the Bristol-based loneliness charity in 2022 and 2023, the packaging business has once more donated hundreds of cardboard boxes for the charity’s Christmas Cheer initiative.

Marmalade Trust volunteers will decorate and fill the boxes with gifts before distributing them to individuals experiencing loneliness during the festive period.

The hampers are part of a wider project that entails doorstep visits by volunteers alongside organising and funding Christmas Day meals in pubs and restaurants for those who would otherwise spend the day alone.

Last year, the initiative reached over 200 people throughout Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.

Gemma Brown, Christmas Cheer event coordinator at the Marmalade Trust, said: “While there is growing awareness of people experiencing loneliness at any time of year, it is at this festive time that those without their own connections can feel especially lonely.

“This can lead to feelings of sadness, further isolation and even dread as adverts show scenes of gladness and joy on our televisions.

“Our aim is that no one should spend Christmas alone if they don’t want to. This is why ongoing support from local businesses, including GWP, is a huge help. Their generosity enables us to reach and engage with more of those affected by loneliness over this period.”

The Marmalade Trust, founded in 2013, was the first charity in the world dedicated to raising awareness of loneliness. It undertakes various projects to identify people most at risk of experiencing long-term loneliness in society, helping them find ongoing support and encouraging them to make new connections and friendships.

David Mason, sales director at Salisbury- and Cricklade-based GWP Packaging, added: “We’ve been proud to support The Marmalade Trust over the past two Christmases and we had no hesitation in doing so for a third year. The charity does a fantastic job of helping people experiencing loneliness, who can be particularly vulnerable at this time of year.”

Besides its involvement with The Marmalade Trust, GWP has supported various other community groups. In 2023 and 2024, the manufacturer helped another charity, The Cirencester Round Table, with a similar project that provides struggling families with all the items needed for a Christmas dinner.

GWP has also provided extensive ongoing support for The Swindon Food Collective (formerly Swindon Foodbank), sponsors The Cricklade Band’s Christmas performances and even supplied cardboard Christmas trees for primary school children to decorate.

David continued: “As a business, we aim to support local groups and charities as much as possible. We are delighted to be able to help organisations such as The Marmalade Trust and the important work they do.”

GWP, which became part of specialist packaging business, Macfarlane Group PLC, in 2021, employs over 100 people across two sites in Wiltshire and designs and manufactures a wide range of bespoke packaging products.