Christmas hampers to cheer foster care teens - The Rugby Observer

Christmas hampers to cheer foster care teens

Rugby Editorial 23rd Dec, 2014 Updated: 27th Oct, 2016   0

A KIND-hearted foster care worker has been putting together Christmas hampers for teenagers who are leaving care this year.

Norma Wilson, a placement support worker for the Rugby Fostering Team, realised a few years ago that people leaving foster care at 18 often didn’t have any Christmas presents and wanted to do something about it.

She asked neighbours, friends and work colleagues for donations and created a few hampers.

Norma’s venture has since snowballed, and this year she has packed 62 hampers with Christmas gifts and essentials such as toothpaste, sheets and childcare items.




Also in the hampers were donations of 36 male and female perfume sets from Next, and a total of £100 to spend in Tesco and Aldi.

Norma said: “When people in foster care get to 18 and come out of care, they haven’t got very many family or friends to be supportive over Christmas, so I started doing the hampers for the Rugby carers.


“I thought I’d do as many as I could, and I’ve had a really good result this year.

“I give them to the social workers to give out, and they tell me that the recipients are absolutely delighted.”

Coun Bob Stevens, Warwickshire County Council’s children’s health spokesman, said: “Well done to Norma for providing such a wonderful service at Christmas.”

Coun Bob Hicks, chair of the council’s Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee, agreed: “Norma is a very impressive lady. As well as working full time she finds the time to bring a little bit of Christmas cheer to Warwickshire Care Leavers.”

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