Covers Timber & Builders Merchants has donated more than £15,000 to local hospices after taking part in Christmas Jumper Day.
The staff at the company got into the festive spirit by wearing an array of seasonally inspired sweaters and jumpers in return for a £2.00 donation. Covers further bolstered funds by making a generous donation of £5 for every transaction completed across its chain of 14 depots on the day.
The hospices to benefit from the funding are St Wilfrid’s in Chichester, Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care in Farnham, Martlets in Hove, St Peter & St James Hospice in Lewes, Hospice in the Weald in Tunbridge Wells, Countess Mountbatten Hospice Charity in Southampton, St Catherine’s Hospice in Crawley, The Rowans Hospice in Waterlooville and St Barnabas House in Worthing. The children’s hospices Chestnut Tree House in Arundel, Naomi House & Jacksplace in Winchester, and Demelza Hospice Care in Sittingbourne will also receive funds.
Henry Green, Managing Director of Covers, said: “This year has been particularly difficult for charities so we are delighted to be supporting hospices in our communities once again with our annual Christmas Jumper Day. Hospices rely heavily on funding to operate, so we hope this latest donation will help make a difference to the vital work they do taking care of patients and their families.”
As well as supporting hospices, Covers has donated materials to Shirley Warren Action Church to help it create a silhouette Nativity scene.
The builders’ merchant provided sheets of plywood to the church, which has built the life-size display on the grass in its grounds. During the evening, the display is lit up and receives visitors from across the community with many of them taking photographs.
Reverend Jenny Elliott from Shirley Warren Action Church said: “It felt very important to have a visual picture of the Nativity, which represents the true meaning of Christmas, outside for all the community to see. Due to the many restrictions placed on indoor worship, and because our outdoor Nativity scene was sadly subjected to an arson attack in 2015, we all felt a strong need to create something outside where people could come and go freely whenever they wanted.”
Michael Sheath, Depot Manager of Covers Southampton, added: “At Covers we are always happy to support projects in our community, so we were delighted to get involved with Shirley Warren Action Church to help them create their wonderful Nativity display. We are sure it will bring joy to visitors throughout the festive season.”
