The Colwick, Nottingham-headquartered business, which makes packaging for clients including major UK supermarkets, put together 250 festive care packages full of winter essentials to help users of local homeless shelters, and other vulnerable people, get through the winter months.
It follows a similar, successful charity drive last Christmas, which saw the business deliver 344 festive hampers to local Covid-19 heroes and those most in need.
The latest packs contain a hat, gloves, thermal socks, toiletries including shower gel, toothpaste and a toothbrush, and snacks.
Recipients will include users of Emmanuel House, Framework, The Friary, Men’s Complex Needs, Women’s Complex Needs, Hughendon Lodge, Nottingham Nightstop, The Arches, and SOTA Sneinton Hermitage.
The donation comes after charities warned that they expect homelessness in Nottingham to increase past pre-Covid levels and that this winter could be the worst in a decade for rough sleepers.
Gill Barker, marketing and fundraising assistant at Emmanuel House, said: “The festive packages from The Wilkins Group are gratefully received by Emmanuel House support centre.
"The contents of the donations are amongst our most needed items and will be distributed to people using this service who are experiencing homelessness, in crisis, are rough-sleeping or at risk of homelessness.
"It will make a difference to the beneficiaries, who otherwise have no access to these basic supplies that many of us take for granted. This is particularly important at this time of year.”
Wilkins Group sales and marketing director Justin Wilkins added: “There’s no doubt that it’s been another tough year for many.
"Now, as we’re in the depths of winter, we find ourselves thinking more and more of others, and what we might be able to do to help them.
"I had no idea how many charities there were that help the needy in our city and county – it shows how much they are needed.
“As a local company, we are committed to giving back to our local community, and if these packs can put a smile on just one person’s face, then it’s worth it.”
The Wilkins Group employs more than 500 staff across five sites globally, which includes at factories in Sri Lanka, China, and Bangladesh. Earlier this year it invested £1.1m in an additional Bobst Expertcut PER 106 to expand its cutting and creasing capabilities.
