REFLECT- EDMONTON GREEN SHOPPING CENTRE
Involved Partners: Salvation Army
As a shopping centre that puts the community at the heart of everything they do, Edmonton Green (EG) wanted to support local families over the winter period. Due to the covid crisis, many residents were reaching out stating they were struggling financially and worried about how they were going to afford Christmas for their families with many stating they were turning to the local Salvation Army for help.
After speaking with the Edmonton branch, which had seen a 50% increase in help requests for their annual present appeal and food bank the management team was committed to supporting them. EG reached out to local customers, retailers and contractors via online promotion and a donation point in the centre, providing extra print and publicity for the appeal.
£7,000 worth of donations were received to support all the extra families and more. Following the success of the 2020 Christmas Appeal EG once again decided to support The Salvation Army with their Present Appeal. To understand the continued need, the team once again reached out to the Edmonton branch of the Salvation Army only to find out they were in need of further support due to a further 20% increase in referrals for both their foodbank and annual present appeal.
The campaign was more than successful and exceeded their 2020 result of helping 250 families, they were able to help 320 families with food parcels and gift hampers a 28% increase on the previous year. They also saw an increase in items donated with 824 items being donated and distributed which was an 18% increase on the previous year.
Moving forwards, the team have decided to make the partnership with the Salvation Army an annual appeal to build a series of results and increase impact year-on-year.
TESTIMONIAL
“As a schoolteacher in one of the most deprived boroughs in London seeing the social effects of our children and their families has been tough. We referred many families to our local Salvation army knowing they were stretched but with no where else to go. What was amazing was to have Dawn and Glen from the salvation army turn up at the school, with two of the managers of the shopping centre armed with, not only Christmas food hampers and gifts for all the 27 families we referred. An emotional experience for all but for a local business who but others before themselves and worked to ensure no one went without is no short of commendable.”
Anna Hunter – Deputy Head Teacher – Starks Field Primary School
