Spireites Community Trust and Chesterfield Cricket Club provide hampers for 500 local families – Destination Chesterfield

Factor: Josh Marsh – December 19, 2022

Chesterfield FC Community Trust and Chesterfield Cricket Club have joined forces to bring Christmas cheer to families in the town.

Together they have led a project to provide Christmas clothes to 500 families in the Chesterfield Borough Council area.

The skirts contain essential food items such as potatoes, milk, fruits and vegetables, as well as household items such as soap, washing powder and toys.

The families who receive them are nominated by the schools, and their children receive a free school meal.

The barriers have been funded by the Ministry of Education’s holiday meals program (HAF), which was established two years ago as a result of the Covid lockdowns to provide security for children of families receiving free school meals during the holidays.

Jayne Bacon, Chief Operating Officer at the Trust, said: The Trust offers Camp Inspire for children where we provide a hot meal, two hours of physical activity, nutrition and enrichment classes and lots of fun with friends during the holidays.

We are delighted to have also been able to bid for 500 Christmas gifts through StreetGames, who run the scheme for Derbyshire County Council, and were successful.

Led by Trusts Becks White, the project needed a place where the barriers could be assembled, stored and collected.

The Trust approached Chesterfield Cricket Club who were happy to use the pavilion at Queens Park.

Chairman Nigel Mallender said: Chesterfield Cricket Club is a community club and this is the kind of initiative that is right at the heart of the community.

This is a difficult time for so many families at the moment and I am really pleased that we have been able to help in some small way to make such a worthwhile initiative possible. Well done to Jayne, Becks and the team at the Trust.

Jayne added: Becks has been responsible for ordering food, organizing staff, volunteers and co-ordinating all deliveries and collections to create a truly magical hamper.

He has been helped by Trust staff, members of the Academy of football clubs and students on his holiday trip.

Fittingly for two sports clubs, it has been a real team effort to strengthen the local community.

Chesterfield Football Club supports the town’s marketing and economic growth through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organizations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.