From now until December 8, Hobbycraft will be transforming children’s hospices across the UK into winter wonderlands with handmade Christmas decorations created by the retailer’s staff.
These festive makeovers will mirror Hobbycraft’s new Christmas advert campaign, ‘Every moment is a gift’, which aims to raise awareness and funds for its charity partner, Together for Short Lives. This is a UK charity for children with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions and all those who support, love and care for them, including children’s hospices.
The advert sees staff designing, creating and delivering an array of handmade Christmas decorations to Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice in West Sussex, and concludes with children who are cared for by the hospice enjoying the festive makeover with their loved ones, and a call to donate £5 by texting MOMENT to 70560.
“The care given all year round by Together for Short Lives, and the children’s hospices it supports, makes such a difference to the lives of so many children and families”
Hobbycraft’s partnership with Together for Short Lives sees every Hobbycraft store twinned with a local children’s hospice. Staff from every branch will create handmade decorations and visit their local hospices, helping to turn them into winter wonderlands.
In addition to these makeovers, every store will be creating and delivering a Christmas hamper to its local hospice, full of festive kid’s crafts to be enjoyed throughout the holiday season, and will also host a Festive Fundraiser on December 7 and December 8.
Since the founding of the partnership in 2012, Hobbycraft staff have incorporated Together for Short Lives into every aspect of their work, using their creative fundraising ideas to raise over £3.2 million. Donations help raise vital funds for the 54 children’s hospices around the UK and provide clinical, emotional, and practical support for children and families through art, play, music, and hydrotherapy, bereavement support, respite care and short breaks for families.
Hobbycraft marketing director Joel Pickering said: “The care given all year round by Together for Short Lives, and the children’s hospices it supports, makes such a difference to the lives of so many children and families. We believe it’s important to use our platform to help raise awareness for such a fantastic cause, as every moment between these children and their loved ones is a gift to treasure.”
Nick Carroll, interim chief executive at Together for Short Lives, commented: “It’s hard to think of a greater joy for a parent than creating memories with their child at Christmas. For families such as those cared for by wonderful children’s hospices like Chestnut Tree House, it takes on a whole other level of significance. This Christmas, thousands of seriously ill children and their families at children’s hospices up and down the country will now get to make precious memories in a truly magical winter wonderland. It’s a priceless gift from Hobbycraft, for which we are eternally grateful.”
To make a donation to Together for Short Lives and help spread Christmas cheer, use the link www.hobbycraft.co.uk/charity or text MOMENT to 70560 to donate £5.
Watch Hobbycraft’s Christmas ad here: https://youtu.be/LxXrsniKZNo
