Age UK Bath & North East Somerset is launching its Christmas campaign today, 1st December, aiming to raise £5,000 to support its work with older people across the area.
Bath business Zonkey Solutions donated its time free of charge to create an online advent calendar – http://ageukbaneschristmas.org.uk/ – for the local charity.
Age UK B&NES is now asking local businesses to sponsor a door for £100; in return, the thousands of people who follow the charity on social media and visit its website will see their message.
Alongside this, Age UK B&NES has teamed up with the Somer Valley Rotary Club to run a new pop-up shop on the High Street in Midsomer Norton in run-up to Christmas.
The pop-up, at 89 High Street (opposite M&Co), is selling second-hand items including clothes, toys, books and bric-a-brac. Money raised will be split between Age UK B&NES and the Rotary Club.
The pop-up shop is open from 10am-4pm on the following dates: Fridays and Saturdays 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 10th, 16th, 17th December.
Janet Dabbs, chief executive of Age UK B&NES, said: “We’re appealing to local businesses to support our work, which is essential to so many older people across the area.
“Every year, we support 12,000 older people, their families and carers. A weekly visit from a befriender could be the only visit a lonely older person gets over the winter months.
“A donation today means we can also help with food shopping, claiming benefits they’re eligible for, or making sure they are eating regular hot meals when it’s bitterly cold outside.”
Director of Zonkey Solutions Alex Wood said: “We were very happy to donate some time to design the new online advent calendar for Age UK B&NES – I really hope that local businesses get on board and sponsor a door.”
Two Bath businesses, Creatrix PR and Wool, have already signed up to the advent calendar, which launched today, Thursday 1st December.
If you would like to sponsor a door, visit http://ageukbaneschristmas.org.uk/, email [email protected] or call 01225 466135.