Watch as Sunderland teenagers show the true meaning of Christmas by donating hundreds of selection boxes for disadvantaged children

Kind-hearted students at Sunderland College have donated hundreds of selection boxes to ensure that disadvantaged children “don’t go without” on Christmas morning.
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The youngsters hold regular collections for Sunderland Food Bank, but with the festive season fast approaching and the cost of living crisis hitting families hard, the teenagers decided to target the collection of 100 selection boxes to ensure disadvantaged children enjoy a chocolate surprise when they wake up on December 25.

However, the generous students have smashed their target, with 272 selection boxes donated, which is expected to exceed 300 by the time they get delivered to Sunderland Food Bank.

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Lucy Gettins, 17, said: “A selection box is something most children just expect to get on Christmas morning and so if some parents can’t afford to buy them, it would be such a shame for them to go without.

"Children won’t fully understand the things that are going on at the moment in terms of the cost of living and so I feel it’s important they have something nice to wake up to as it’s not their fault.”

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A number of the youngsters have part-time jobs and have been using their own wages to buy selection boxes.

Erin Stewart, 18, who works part-time as a bar tender in Port of Call, said: “I bought five selection boxes out of my wages. Everyone has got involved and I think this is a great cause.

Sunderland College students Bailey Stevenson, Lucy Gettins and Erin Stewart with the collection of selection boxes for disadvantage children.Sunderland College students Bailey Stevenson, Lucy Gettins and Erin Stewart with the collection of selection boxes for disadvantage children.
Sunderland College students Bailey Stevenson, Lucy Gettins and Erin Stewart with the collection of selection boxes for disadvantage children.
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"More people need a little bit of help at the moment as the cost of everything has increased. Selection boxes symbolise Christmas and it would be really sad to know children were waking up without one.”

Bailey Stevenson, 17, who works part time as a waiter in Aisiana, added: “I also bought five selection boxes as I wanted to do something for the children who wouldn’t get one. I can imagine how I would have felt at their age on Christmas morning if I hadn’t got a selection box, but it is really difficult for some people at the moment to afford these little extras.”

Sunderland College lecturer, Dan Gibson, said he had been “blown away” by the response of the students.

Some of the 272 selection boxes collected by teenagers at Sunderland College.Some of the 272 selection boxes collected by teenagers at Sunderland College.
Some of the 272 selection boxes collected by teenagers at Sunderland College.

He said: “There has been an amazing response and we’ve had some students who brought in 10 selection boxes. I think they have been so engaged as it is an initiative to support young children. It has really pulled on their heart strings to think that some children could be going without this Christmas."

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On Friday December 7, the youngsters will be joining Dan in delivering the selection boxes to Sunderland Food Bank.

Sunderland Food bank manager Helen Moss said: “We very much appreciate the tremendous efforts of the students and tutors at Sunderland College, they’ve worked with us on a number of occasions now. Their contributions will go a long way in providing much needed support for those experiencing food poverty and insecurity this Christmas.

"Without such generous donations from the public, our food banks would not be able to meet the ever increasing needs of the communities in Sunderland.”

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