University students and staff members get into the festive volunteering spirit
Beneficiaries were two children’s hospices and a community charity
University of East London (UEL) students and staff members shared an afternoon of festive volunteering on Wednesday in support of two local children’s hospices and a community charity.
More than 40 volunteers spent the afternoon on the Docklands campus making paper origami cranes for the patients at Haven House Children’s Hospice, in Woodford Green, Essex, and paper stars adorned with well wishes for the Christmas tree at Richard’s House Children’s Hospice in Beckton.
The UEL volunteering team also collected more than 50 new toys, books and games, donated by staff and students, for Newham-based Community Links.
Tom Murtagh, Community and Events Manager at Richard House Children's Hospice, was delighted with the day.
He said, “It’s lovely to be a part of another event at UEL. The fundraising and volunteering that is done by students and staff really makes a difference to local seriously ill children.
“We are very proud of our long relationship with UEL and we look forward to it continuing.”
Richard’s House opened in 2000, and provides clinical care, therapeutic and residential services to around 143 life-limited children and young adults. It supports around 300 families from across east London and Essex through therapy and bereavement support.
Haven House welcomed its first child in 2003. Since then, it has supported over 900 families, looking after children and young people who have life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.
The 50 toys, books, and games donated by UEL staff and students will be wrapped and given to Community Links, which provides advice, youth mentoring, employment help, and health programmes.
Joseph Crook, UEL’s volunteer manager, described the collection as very generous.
He said, “UEL places a lot of focus on helping the community with its civic engagement projects, but it was still quite overwhelming when members of staff turned up with bags of new toys. It’s certainly a rewarding part of my job.”