Leamington group helps spread Christmas cheer with '˜comfort and joy' boxes

Kristy Ward along with her friends and neighbours in Leamington started an initiative where they fill a ‘comfort and joy’ box.

The box is then filled with items that will bring comfort and joy to an elderly woman living in Leamington, who is in a strained financial situation during the winter months.

Some of these items include a warm blanket, a dressing gown, warm socks, tea, coffee, chocolate, mince pies, shampoo, conditioner and hand cream.

The boxes were donated by The Box Factory in Leamington.

After creating a Facebook group called ‘The Comfort Project 2017’ 30 of Kristy’s friends and neighbours created boxes.

On behalf of the group, Kristy said: “We started the project in the middle of the year so that the expense of filling a box was spread over six months, it’s been wonderful.

“Each box has the same items inside. We filled the boxes at home over that period and then the completed boxes were delivered to Age UK, who are distributing them to the ladies.

“Age UK were very happy to work with us to help distribute the boxes, and come up with the recipients.

“The project is totally anonymous for those of us who provide the boxes - we don’t know who will be receiving them, and the recipients don’t know who they came from.

“The only thing that the ‘giver’ gets is a warm feeling of knowing they’ve done something kind at Christmas.

“The Box Factory in Leamington kindly donated a pile of boxes for us to use.

“We are all just really happy to be able to bring some “comfort and joy” to those who need it.

“If you’d like to fill a box for next year, please join us on Facebook in ‘The Comfort Project 2017’ group and we’ll keep you up to date with what is happening in 2018.”