An Ayr care home is giving the gift of kindness once again this year by donating to a local Christmas gifting charity.

Greenan Manor, operated by Meallmore Ltd, has donated £650 to Night Before Christmas Charity (NB4CC), which supplies Christmas gifts to local children in Ayr and the surrounding areas living in poverty.

The partnership began last year, after the care home managed to raise £500 towards helping local families in need. For 2022, the team at Greenan Manor managed to increase the donation by hosting a summer fete earlier this year to raise the vital funds towards NB4CC.

Now in its seventh year, NB4CC provides families in Ayrshire with individual presents as well as ‘Red Bags of Joy’ gift bags. The bags are filled with goodies such as pyjamas, hot chocolate and teddy bears.

When the charity started in 2015, it distributed 90 gift bags to children in poverty. Last year, thanks to generous donations and support, NB4CC was able to issue 5,260 gift bags. This year, the charity has seen an increase in the number of families requiring support, and has so far issued 6,000 gift bags, with new enquiries coming through every day.  

Elaine Hughes, Care Home Manager at Greenan Manor, commented: “Following the success of last year’s partnership, we are thrilled to be supporting NB4CC for a second year. The charity goes above and beyond to make sure no child living in Ayr goes without a Christmas.

“We understand that families are struggling to cope with the cost of living crisis, and so we hope that our donation can help make a difference to those who need some extra support this Christmas.”

Karen Watson, Co-ordinator at NB4CC, said: “Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year for many, but unfortunately some children aren’t as lucky as others. With the rising cost of living, we have sadly seen increased demand in our services from families struggling to afford Christmas presents.

“However, with donations like the one from Greenan Manor, we can help more families across the region by delivering presents to less fortunate children. On behalf of all of our volunteers at Night Before Christmas Charity, we would like to thank Greenan Manor for their incredibly generous donation, which will help to deliver hope to families this Christmas.”

In addition to the company donation, Greenan Manor is gathering contributions for the charity over the festive period. Local people are invited to leave gifts in the reception of Greenan Manor, 2 Tiree Ave, KA7 4GH, or donate through the charity’s Facebook page.

Greenan Manor is run by Meallmore Ltd and provides excellent standards of care for its residents, including those living with dementia. More information about Meallmore Ltd can be found at www.meallmore.co.uk/