Derry couple collecting donated Xmas gift bags for local nursing home

Derry couple, Louise Brennan and her husband, Terry, along with their team have been running a Christmas collection for the last few years for Brooklands Healthcare at Edenballymore Lodge in Derry.

They have also supported other nursing homes within the city if they receive excess donations.

They ask the public to donate gifts- things such as socks, hot water bottles, selection boxes, board games and the like- so they can create gift bags for everyone in the nursing home each Christmas to open and enjoy.

Louise and the team were overwhelmed with the generosity of the community 

The collection continues to receive incredible support from the community and the couple have started collecting for this year's present giving.

Louise explained: "This is the fourth year we have done it. Myself and my husband run the kitchen in the Thirsty Goat, we have been there just over a year. 

"Prior to that, we had the kitchen in Molly Malone's. Molly Malone's is in close vicinity to Edenballymore Lodge.

"In 2018, my husband's granny was there and she still is there at the moment and my own granny has passed away but she had spent time in the home. So, we decided to do something coming up to Christmas for the home to give something back.

The team sadly had to greet everyone at the nursing home through the window when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and restrictions applied

"We had taken them out a few times, maybe once a month we would have taken between seven to 15 able bodied people down to Molly Malone's for some music and dinner. The Christmas idea snowballed from that. 

"We had got to know everyone at that point so we wanted to give them something for Christmas."

The couple issued an appeal for gift bags filled with simple gifts, asking the community for example if they had £10 to spend, to buy 10 £1 items. 

Louise said they really wanted the 'feeling of Santa visiting' for everyone. The couple were overwhelmed by the response.

Louise continued: "The gift bags were filled with things we knew they could use, want and like. Things like socks, hotel water bottles, nice soaps. The first year we were actually overwhelmed with the amount of stuff that we got."

Louise and the  team buy selection boxes and other gifts and personally wrap and pack the gift bags for everyone, ensuring everyone gets similar and suitable gifts. 

This year, the team also has volunteers to help with wrapping as they love for each item to be individually wrapped.

The couple received enough gifts for 60 bags in their first year and had enough for every person at the home as well as spare gift bags.

Due to everyone's incredible generosity, they managed to donate gifts to another home in Waterside of the city too.

Louise and the team then contacted the Glen Initiative and made a donation to the Glen. The Glen Initiative had a Santa's sleigh and all the gifts were put onto the sleigh and it made its way to the home where everyone received their very own gift.

Santa's sleigh arriving at the nursing home with the gifts donated 

"No one was left out," Louise continued. "There was a gift for everybody and the success of it was fantastic. It was so emotional. We were crying, the staff were crying, those in the home were crying. It was so nice. We decided then to continue it.

"Everyone is so generous, really really generous. I can't wait to give everyone their gifts again this year. Everyone at the home looks forward to it and so do we."

If you would like to donate gifts to the Christmas Collection, you can leave them in at the Thirsty Goat, 33 Shipquay Street, Derry. The gifts can be wrapped or unwrapped.