Where you can get help and support this festive season
Help on Christmas Day
Anyone who might be spending Christmas Day alone can get help from the Link Visiting Scheme.
They’ll be offering a traditional Christmas dinner on 25 December at a local venue in the borough, with people to talk too and a gift of treats. Open to anyone who might be spending the day alone:
Cowshed Christmas sacks for children
The Cowshed’s Christmas project aims to provide children with a memorable and joyous holiday experience.
Each sack will be filled with approximately five thoughtfully selected presents, a book, stocking fillers, and a delicious selection pack of treats. All gifts will be provided wrapped and in fabric sacks made by the Cowshed’s Craft Group Volunteers.
- The Cowshed will contact families to confirm children’s preferences
- Refer those who most need help
- Capacity is capped at 2,000 children – refer early
- Referrals are online
- Gifts are for children only
Make a Christmas sack referral to the Cowshed on its website. If you have any questions contact christmas@thecowshed.org
A Christmas Presence
A community Christmas project brought to you by First Days Children’s Charity, SHARE Wokingham, Wokingham Foodbank and other local charities and Christas.
A Christmas Presence helps Wokingham Borough families which cannot afford gifts for their children or Christmas food items.
The teams will be transforming the Elevate Centre in Denmark Street into a Christmas Grotto, and setting up a ‘shop’ where parents/carers are invited to come and choose exactly what they know their children will love.
Anyone struggling to afford everything they need for Christmas can request help.
Anyone who works with people who may need this help, can apply on their behalf. Please ensure that the resident knows you are passing on their contact details and has given permission for you to share their details.
Help with food
Wokingham Foodbank will be:
- Closed on the bank holidays but otherwise open
- Delivering food parcels only between Christmas and New Year
- Emergency energy support vouchers will be distributed throughout the festive period
If you need help before Christmas, check the help with food page in Wokingham Brough Council‘s cost of living help hub.
Wokingham Salvation Army Christmas support
Wokingham Salvation Army (RG40 2HD) services are operating as normal during the festive period:
- Coffee shop on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am to 1pm, last day before Christmas is Monday 20 December. Reopens from Wednesday 3 January
- Advent services run at 10.30am on the 3, 10, 17 and 24 December
- Christingle service and Carols by Candlelight, from 6pm on Sunday 17 December
- Christmas Day service from 10am on Monday 25 December
- Service will run at 10.30am on Sunday 31 December
Anyone needing help between Christmas and New Year can visit between 10am and 12 noon on 29 December.
CLASP
CLASP will be running a full December timetable for people with learning disabilities, full of festive events and fun.
Check the what’s on information on the CLASP website for full timetables.
Travel
Free bus travel when you get on a most stops in the borough on Saturdays in the run up to Christmas:
Donate
- Wokingham Borough Mayor Cllr Beth Rowland is running a reverse advent calendar appeal with Woodley Foodbank – donate food items for Christmas for those in need
- Wokingham Foodbank is also running a Reverse Advent Appeal you can donate to
- You can donate to support The Link Visiting Scheme’s festive programme, including Christmas Day
- You can donate to support the Cowshed’s Christmas gift sacks
- You can donate to support a Christmas Presence through donating, buying gifts or volunteering.
