East Scotland donate to local cause for Christmas

The Boghall Drop-in Centre receive a £1000 donation from East Scotland region.

East Scotland employees in Bathgate are spreading holiday cheer by giving £1,000 worth of gifts to a nearby charity, The Boghall Drop-in Centre, to help low-income families. To ensure that more people in need can enjoy a joyous Christmas dinner, staff members are also contributing turkeys in addition to their gifts.

Staff at the Bathgate headquarters of the East Scotland region organised a collection for the benefit of local residents in need, raising a total of £1,000 which purchased gifts for the group to distribute to families. Rather than benefitting directly from a Christmas turkey that is kindly given to them by their employer, this year members of staff at the Bathgate office have donated their turkeys to the charity.

The charity organisation based in Boghall helps local families throughout the year by connecting people in need with partner organisations that can assist them. The volunteer-run organisation also runs a kids club for young people in the area and a community shop called The Bog Deals, which opened in August 2020.

Neil Parry, East Scotland Managing Director, said:

“I am proud of my colleagues and the generosity that they have shown to raise funds to support this important local cause. We are delighted to be able to support our local community in this way.

"At Persimmon Homes East Scotland, we want to support the communities we operate in and I’m really pleased to have the opportunity to help families in need and provide them with some much-needed support at this time of year."

Mandy Millar, Secretary of the Boghall Drop-in Centre, said:

“Everyone has magical Christmas memories. It is a time where families are together and memories are created. The stark reality however is that for some families the festive period is filled with anxiety and fear over stress of the money involved. The difference the donation from Persimmon will make to combat these feelings in our families is immense.”

Vicky Dunnett, Construction Administrator, East Scotland, who organised the donation and sits on the charity’s board said:

“Thanks to the generosity of Persimmon Homes East Scotland staff, parents won’t have to face losing the magic of Christmas by having to make the unbearable choice of either Christmas presents or food. The positive impact will create memories that will last a lifetime with these families.”