Crawley Estate Agents re-launches its Christmas appeal for 2022

Twelve years ago, Estate Agent Darren Greenaway was approached by a family to say that they were unable to afford Christmas dinner for themselves and their children. Without a moment's hesitation, Darren went to the shops and provided the family with everything that they could want in order to enjoy their Christmas.

The following year, he repeated the same task to help five families. This growth has continued over the years and this year, the company has over 750 families that will be provided with all of the ingredients needed to make a home-cooked, healthy two-course Christmas dinner.

The hampers themselves consist of one chicken, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, brussels sprout, stuffing, gravy powder, cooking oil, Christmas pudding, custard, mince pies. The families are nominated via schools in the Crawley, East Grinstead and Horley areas, as well as other charities and council bodies.

In addition to the hampers, many children from the families are invited to make a wish for a Christmas gift. The children then come to the offices of Greenaway Residential Estate Agents to make their wish from Argos or Smyths Toy Shop up to the value of £25.

Darren said: “In order for this to all happen, we rely greatly on the support of the local community. Firstly, via cash donations, sponsored events and fundraisers. We then rely on further volunteers to help purchase and wrap the gifts, these are known as our elves. Thirdly, we have the event.

“At this point, we rely on hundreds of volunteers to help with packing the hampers and transporting the food for delivery. These are known as reindeer and their cars are sleighs.

“For the past four years, the main event takes place at Oriel High School and is often attended by the Crawley MP, Mayor , and the High Sheriff of West Sussex.”

This entire event could not have happened without the tireless work of Darren, the trustees of The Greenaway Foundation and Greenaway Residential, as well as a whole host of volunteers from the West Sussex and Surrey areas.

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It has always been the belief of Darren Greenaway to help the local community and this belief continues through Greenaway Residential Ltd’s charity ‘The Greenaway Foundation’.