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It was with a heavy heart that Ashtons decided to cancel our annual company Christmas party this year, due to the ongoing situation with COVID-19 and the new omicron variant. While disappointing for many, the safety of our team and clients must always come first.
However, we are delighted to say that the perfect silver lining was found, with all the festive food being provided by our host venue, Sopwell House, being donated to local charities.
In the true spirit of the season, a total of 100 meals were donated to the local vulnerable and homeless, kindly distributed by the fantastic Open Door St Albans Charity and The Vineyard Church.
A spokesperson from The Vineyard Church commented: “Thank you to Ashtons for donating food to The Vineyard Care Centre. We feed approximately 1,000 people a month through our services. Your generous donation will go a long way in supporting the community here in St Albans and tackling food poverty, thank you.”
The Vineyard Care Centre, part of The Vineyard Church, cares for the local community through the provision of several services, including a food bank. Find out more here.
Lindsay, Treasurer of the Open Door St Albans Charity, added: “We really appreciate Ashtons' generosity and efforts to make this all possible. Thank you”. The food donated to Open Door was split between residents at the night shelter and the Winter Beds Project.
The Open Door Charity works to ensure that no-one need sleep rough in St Albans and to improve the life chances of homeless people in our community. Visit their website here.
Ashtons are delighted to see the food go to such a wonderful cause at this time of year. A huge thank you to everyone involved, it was a fantastic team effort, and we do hope the food was enjoyed by all.
In early 2022, Ashtons will be donating a further £10,000 to local charities as part of our For Life’s Great Causes charity initiative. Visit www.lifesgreatcauses.co.uk for more information.