Displaying items by tag: giftmas tree

The Half Way House pub in Blackpool has initiated a 'giftmas' tree project to provide Christmas presents for nearly 200 underprivileged children. Traditional decorations on the tree were replaced with tags indicating an anonymous child's age and gender. Patrons were encouraged to pick a tag and donate a suitable gift. This initiative led to over 185 children receiving gifts for Christmas. The landlords highlighted the importance of the project, acknowledging that many children might not receive gifts otherwise. The presents will be distributed through Blackpool's Children's Services. This initiative is significant in the UK, where around 4.2 million children live in poverty, and research suggests one in five might not receive a Christmas present. Following the success of this scheme, other pubs in the same chain are following suit. The chain’s marketing manager praised the initiative for demonstrating the pivotal role pubs play in their communities, ensuring that many children will have gifts to open this Christmas.