'All I want for Christmas is food': Teenagers' heart-wrenching wishlist to kind Dudley-based business
Teenagers told generous staff at a Dudley-based business that all they wanted for Christmas was food.
While most young people would ask for electronic gifts, teens being supported by a regional charity put in requests for hampers filled simply with pasta, baked beans and other tinned meals.
The heart-wrenching wish lists were revealed by bosses at Pensnett-based lift firm Pace Group, also known as Deltron Lifts Limited, when they joined forces with Birmingham Children's Trust and the Bfriends charity to make sure youngsters in care settings have presents to open on December 25.
Pace Group's head of commercial and corporate affairs Tom Bray said that, much to the national group's firm's surprise, while the younger children asked for footballs, teddy bears, headphones, playdough sets and board games the older children wanted non-perishable food hampers.
Now its generous staff from sites across the UK have been digging deep to purchase and deliver the items listed on 200 gift tags.
Tom says: "We have all the name tags and gift requests and the younger children asked for toys and things like footballs, teddy bears, headphones and playdough, but the 15-year-olds were saying 'I would like a non-perishable food hamper' and this is for things most people would have sitting in the back of our cupboards, such as beans and pasta. It has tugged at our heart strings.
"The majority of our staff who are based across the UK have offered to contribute £30 or more per child.
"The children being supported are based in Birmingham, the Black Country and surrounding areas. They may be in temporary foster care or in homeless accommodation homeless
"This year for Christmas here at Pace Group we have ventured on a new friendship with Birmingham Children’s Trust and Bfriends Charity, who support the trust.
"Across the Pace Group network we have displayed bespoke tailor-made name tags from children and young people who are supported by the trust with gifts from their Christmas wish list.
"Our staff then pick name tags, go out and purchase the gift, carefully wrapping it and returning under the trees at our offices ready for delivery before Christmas. Birmingham Children’s Trust and Bfriends Charity support over 10,000 young people and children across Birmingham, the West Midlands, and our home community, hence why we felt it was only right to partner with them this year."
"We’re thrilled that colleagues from across the business, including our engineering teams, sales teams, as well as our directors are all taking part in our campaign."
Natalie Loon, Bfriends operations and partnership manager, said “We are proud to welcome The Pace Group as a Friend, the though and care that Tom and the team have put into this campaign is truly remarkable. This campaign starts in Birmingham but then travels across Pace offices in the UK with everyone coming together to provide our young people and adults with gifts on Christmas Day.
"Visiting Tom and the team made this extra special watching members of Pace take their tags and discuss the gifts they are purchasing. We at Bfriends are excited to follow Pace teammates up and down the UK as they bring an uplifting spirit this Christmas.”
Members of the public wishing to support the campaign should visit Facebook page Deltron Lifts Limited or email via contact commercial@thepacegroup.co.uk.
