Every year, the Chard Christmas Present Appeal helps children across Chard and the nearby villages who might not receive a gift at Christmas. Families are nominated by schools, health visitors, social workers and other local agencies, so everything goes directly to those who genuinely need support.

I started the Chard Christmas Present Appeal myself back in 2019, simply wanting to make sure no child in our town went without a gift. As the Appeal grew, so did my involvement and support — and every year it has become a bigger part of my life and my heart. What began as a small idea has now become a community project that supports hundreds of local families.

The Appeal is run by volunteers from Chard Lord’s Larder Foodbank (that’s me, Martyna), together with Chard Community Hub and South Chard Church. We also have two wonderful long‑standing supporters — Tom Poole (Grubworkz Manufacturing) and Gary Waddon (Waddon Construction Ltd) — who help us reach even more families each year.

Last year we supported over 250 families, and the need is growing again.

Why we’re fundraising

Although we receive many lovely donated gifts, we still have to purchase a large number of presents every single year. Donations never cover all the children we’re asked to support.

We often need to buy:

Every child receives a personalised gift bundle, and that only happens because we fill the gaps ourselves. Without fundraising, we simply can’t guarantee that every nominated child will receive a present.

How your donation helps

Your support means we can:

For many parents, these gifts take away a huge worry. It gives them a moment to breathe and feel hopeful again.

Every little bit truly helps

If you’re able to give, we would be so grateful. Together, we can make sure no child in our community is forgotten this Christmas.

Important note about donations

All money raised for the Christmas Present Appeal goes into a separate Lord’s Larder bank account that is specifically designated for the Appeal. This means your donation is ring‑fenced and only used for Christmas gifts, and it does not get mixed with foodbank funds or any other donations.

Blessings,

Martyna

Chard Lord’s Larder Foodbank

Coordinator – Chard Christmas Present Appeal