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Care home’s shoebox appeal helps the homeless

Willow Tree Nursing Home in Rugby who have collected and donated lots of gifts such as blankets etc for homeless people. Pictured delivering the parcels to Hope4 centre in Rugby. L-R: Urszula Olbromska (Willow Tree), Pauline Smout (Hope4), John Collier (Resident Willow Tree Home), Emma Hatch (Team Leader Willow Tree), Daw Hulley (Willow Tree), Ian Gentles (Chaplian for Hope4) and Jackie Huckwale (Manager Willow Tree)

Residents and staff at a Rugby nursing home have been helping the homeless with an appeal in aid of a local charity.

Willow Tree Nursing Home, based in School Street, ran a ‘shoebox appeal’ with support from staff, residents and their families in aid of Hope4.

Led by staff at the home, people made up parcels containing essential items such as blankets, bedding, toiletries, scarves and hats. They also donated sweets and biscuits for people sleeping rough.

Hope4, based in Newbold Road, supports local people who are either homeless or badly housed, assisting them with everything from the paperwork to get housed to applying for jobs.

Jackie Huckvale, manager of Willow Tree Nursing Home, said: “Homelessness is an issue all year round but in the coldest months of the year it is even more important to do our bit.

“Our staff were invited to Hope4 where they got to learn more about the charity and report back to our residents, who have been very motivated in filling shoe boxes with essentials and a few creature comforts. It’s been a brilliant initiative and we are all delighted to help.”

The nursing home’s donation comes as recent figures showed rough sleeping in England had increased for the seventh year in a row. 4,751 people were estimated to be sleeping rough in autumn 2017, a 15% rise on the year before.

Willow Tree Nursing Home is owned by Culpeper Care Limited and is set over an acre of private grounds on the outskirts of Rugby town centre.

The home specialises in caring for elderly patients requiring personal, nursing and dementia care. For details on Willow Tree Nursing Home, readers can visit www.willowtreenursinghome.co.uk

More information on Hope4 is available at http://www.hope4.org.uk/index.html

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