Kirkby Morrisons helped raise more than £7,000 for Mansfield Soup Kitchen

Each year, Morrisons stores have a gifting tree to help raise essential funds for a local charity the in-store community champion has chosen.

For Christmas 2022, Janine Hemmings, Kirkby’s community champion, nominated Mansfield Soup Kitchen, which provides essential support to the homeless in the community, and the store managed to raise £7,042.

Shoppers were given the chance to make a donation at the checkout, or choose a bauble off the gifting tree for a donation of £1, £2 or £5.

The tree was in the store in the run up to Christmas.

Mansfield Soup Kitchen depends on community donations to run the soup kitchen as well as provide warmth and shelter to the community's most vulnerable people.

Janine was supported by colleagues across the store who helped with fundraising, especially the management, checkout team and checkout supervisor Wendy Harris.

Ben Wildin, store manager, said: “I hope this life-changing amount will help the homeless in our community all year and would like to thank everyone who donated through our in store collection.”

Morrisons in Kirkby came top in the company for fundraising this year with their gifting tree, but said they could not have done it without help from their customers.

Mansfield Soup Kitchen is on Church Street, Mansfield. It opens on a Wednesday from 6.30pm and also has a charity shop next door which helps raise further funds to help feed the homeless.