Christmas 2023 gift wrapping success!

The Real Change Guildford team plus some brilliant volunteers had an incredibly successful 5 days in December running a Christmas gift wrapping service for donations in White Lion Walk, Guildford.

Over the course of the few days the total raised came to over £1300 which is the highest amount raised in the wrap event to date!

The Real Change Annual Wrap, now in its 3^rd year, has been a popular event since it was introduced in 2021. We had a total of 25 wrapping volunteers, a lot of whom were completely new faces this year. They were in Guildford from 11-4pm each day ready for busy Christmas shoppers to stop by so they could wrap their presents for them. There were also ceramic baubles available to decorate for donations which was popular with families.

The wrappers were especially busy on 22^nd and 23^rd December with last minute shoppers flocking to the streets of Guildford. Across these 2 days our highest singular donation was £150 with some people bringing in up to 30 presents for our volunteers to wrap!

Real Change Guildford is an initiative that helps people to access the practical items and opportunities they need to build lives away from Guildford’s streets. It’s about providing the tools to start again after homelessness. This could mean clothes for a job interview, rent money up front, or a training course to help unlock their potential.

Andrew, a former rough sleeper in Guildford said: “It’s humbling to see people from all corners of the Guildford community coming together to make a difference and help rough sleepers break the cycle of homelessness. The money raised will truly change lives.”

Thank you to all the volunteers, and to the team at White Lion Walk for their support during their busiest time of year. Thanks also to the generosity of the public whose donations will help us end homelessness in Guildford, for good.