A CHARITY is bringing Christmas to thousands of Bolton residents with 1,300 hampers filled with food and drink essentials.

Urban Outreach, a Christian Charity based in the town, will be providing for more than 4,500 people, including 2,000 children.

Each of the hampers, which are being made up this week, include everything needed for a full Christmas day, including crackers, fizzy drinks, crisps, quality biscuits and bottles of drink.

Dave Bagley, who co-founded the charity in 1990 and is the chief executive, said the hamper provides “everything that you would ever need or want on a Christmas table”.

The hampers, which were packed by a huge number of volunteers, also include chicken sausages and cheese, along with fresh fruit and veg including sprouts, carrots, onions and apples.

Meat substitutes are available for vegetarians and vegans. They are to be packed on the morning of the delivery –– Monday, December 23 –– to ensure they are in quality condition on arrival.

Families can be nominated to receive a hamper by an array of bodies and people, including health visitors, social and community workers.

Mr Bagley added: “There are about 170 organisations that can refer people to us. It’s vast. The Mayor nominates two families and will deliver them along with toys for the kids.

“For some people it’s a surprise but a lot of others will know.”

He added that a whole range of businesses, ranging from Asda and Stateside Foods, had contributed through either food donations or money.

He said: “All of these businesses that donate don’t have a chance to tell them they are the ones who gave it.

“The gifts come with a level of anonymity to them. A lot of businesses give gifts and want to be seen. But here, there’s no name on the box so it is profound.”

The huge packing exercise also required a huge amount of space, which was provided by Logistics North and Harworth Estates in the form of a 55,000sqft unit which was also covered by insurance.

The huge logistical operation has required an incredible amount of planning and man-hours. The 1300 is what Urban outreach aims for each year, with Mr Bagley describing the number as being “sufficient”.

He added that the group thinks 1,300 is “enough to get to the people who need it.”

The thousands that the scheme caters for means that hundreds of families can enjoy a Christmas where otherwise they may have been struggling to afford the essentials.

Mr Bagley said: “People who have received them in the past have been in tears. We have had professionals come back from deliveries in tears. They said that Christmas wasn’t going to happen and ‘now it is’. Some have even said that their faith in humanity was restored.

“There’s a lot of emotion. I’ve seen police officers go out as part of distribution and moved by the response of the people.

“It’s very lovely when the Mayor turns up in the mayoral car. People just don’t expect it and it’s just beautiful.

“It’s Bolton saying that we want everyone to have a good of a Christmas as anyone else.”

Urban Outreach undertakes various projects in the Bolton community, including helping homeless people and providing shelters, as well as summer lunches for children.

It is primarily focused on four key areas; food and drink provision, offender support, complex needs and homelessness and children and families.

More information on the charity and the services they provide can be found on their website at urbanoutreach.co.uk