We recently brought colleagues and partners together through our National Community Project Christmas Campaign to support customers and local communities during the festive season.
The campaign focused on providing practical help, reducing isolation and strengthening community connections at a time of year that can be difficult for many people.
What the campaign delivered
Through the Christmas Campaign, we provided support that helped meet immediate needs while also building trust and goodwill between customers, communities and Accent.
Our aim was to ensure customers felt supported, recognised and cared for during the festive period, while encouraging kindness and teamwork across the organisation.
How customers were supported
We supported customers in a number of ways, including:
- Donating food to Trussell Trust food banks and local community food banks
- Providing hampers and bags for nominated customers, including children’s selection boxes
- Promoting befriending services to help reduce loneliness
- Encouraging colleagues to write anonymous Christmas cards for customers who may be alone
- Supporting a local school through Christmas book sponsorship
These actions helped provide both practical support and a sense of connection during the festive season.
Support provided across our regions
During the campaign, we delivered:
- 127kg of food to Peterborough Trussell Trust, equating to 250 meals
- 102kg of food to Bradford Trussell Trust, equating to 153 meals
- 66 hampers distributed across all regions
- 90 selection boxes shared with customers and families
- 2 crates of food for a temporary accommodation communal kitchen in the South
- £1,000 in financial donations from partners
- 30 Christmas cards written and delivered to customers
- 2 laptops donated
Working together with colleagues and partners
The campaign was supported by teams across Accent, including Housing Partners, Specialist Housing Partners, Area Housing Managers, the Tech Hub and the Housing Hub.
We also worked closely with a wide range of external partners who contributed food, financial donations and other support to help customers during the festive period.
What customers told us
Customers shared positive feedback about the support they received, particularly when they learned they had been personally nominated by Accent colleagues.
One customer said:
“Thank you so much, I can’t believe it, it feels like Christmas Day. I am struggling to feed my children. You don’t know how much this means.”
In Bradford, a customer who had been struggling financially received a food bag that helped provide immediate relief and led to further ongoing support.
Another customer received additional items within a hamper to ensure their family pet was also cared for over Christmas.
Making a lasting difference
This campaign provided immediate support and comfort during the festive season while helping to reduce isolation and strengthen community connections.
It generated £2,070.15 in community investment contributions, but its impact went far beyond numbers. By working together, we helped customers feel supported, valued and connected, showing how Accent makes a real difference beyond providing homes.
Thank you to all involved colleagues for their time and commitment, and thank you to our partners for their generous contributions and support:
We would also like to thank our partners for their generous contributions and support:
- PumpServ
- SureServe South
- SureServe East
- Ian Williams
- McIntyres
- Burmor Construction
- D Brown
- Malc Firth
- Residentially
- Rock Compliance
- IWS
- Morrisons