Kind Hearts at Christmas Online Gift Shop

Many of the people who draw on our support enjoy being creative. Making arts and crafts is a brilliant way to help your wellbeing. It is a calming activity, that reduces anxiety and also can be a great community tool, to bring people together and reduce isolation. We would love to provide arts and crafts packs for the people who draw on our support this festive season. 

Give a gift that encourages imagination and inspires this Christmas. 

*image for guidance

Some of the people who draw on our support won’t get a gift from family or friends this year. Receiving a chocolate gift set would make really put a smile on the face who someone who needs a lift this Christmas.

Give the gift of a Christmas chocolate treat. 

*Image for guidance

Jenny Bromley, 84, and Gerald Bromley, 81, met through our Young at Heart group and got married earlier this year.

Young at Heart is a friendly monthly social group for carers aged 65 and over, the people they care for and carers who have recently been bereaved. It is part of our Calderdale Silver Linings project and helps older unpaid carers stay connected, look after their wellbeing and access the support they need.

Jenny originally attended Young at Heart with her late husband, for whom she was an unpaid carer and continued to attend after his passing.

Gerald was a Community Transport volunteer who regularly picked Jenny up and brought her along to the group. As they spent more time together, a friendship began to grow and then earlier this year they tied the knot. 

Kath Hird, Carer Support Worker at the Silver Linings project, said:

“Jenny and Gerald's story is such a wonderful example of what Young at Heart is all about – bringing people together, helping them feel connected and creating friendships at a time in life when people can sometimes find their world becoming smaller. Of course, we never imagined that one of those friendships would end in a wedding!”

Support Jenny and Gerald by providing their Kinds Hearts Christmas gift.  

An afternoon tea would make a lovely wedding gift and give them a wonderful memory together. Thank you.

Nigel needs your support to enjoy a steam train journey.

Nigel came to Making Space service, Rivacre House in 2021, after a hospital stay. He had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and required support with daily living skills, managing his mental health and learning how to be more independent. Rivacre House provides 24/7 care and support for people with mental health conditions and learning disabilities. We support recovery and help the people who draw on our support to plan for their future and work towards their goals.

Nigel has gone from strength to strength in his time at Rivacre. He has developed his life skills and becoming more independent. However, something that Nigel has always wanted to do but hasn’t been able to due cost and his personal situation is to enjoy a meal on a traditional steam train whilst watching the countryside fly by. A trip like this is wonderful for an individual’s general wellbeing and would give someone the chance to achieve a dream that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.  

Support Nigel by providing his Kind Hearts Christmas gift.

Send Nigel and a friend on the day trip of a lifetime and him fulfil a lifelong dream. 

Rosanna became a full time carer, almost overnight. 

Her adult son experienced a significant mental health crisis that resulted in serious physical injuries, hospitalisation and a long, complex recovery.

Rosanna supported him through his physical rehabilitation and emotional recovery and found it painful watching someone she loved so deeply experience such profound distress.

She sought support from a private counsellor and was referred to Making Space.

 “I remember that first telephone conversation (with a Making Space Support Worker) because of how she made me feel. She was warm, caring and genuinely interested in understanding my circumstances. There was no sense of being rushed, no judgement and no expectation that I needed to have everything figured out.”

As we draw towards the end of an extremely difficult year for Rosanna. She is starting to see her son grow in confidence again and thanks to Making Space she has been able to adjust to her new role and has support to get her through the tough days.  

Support Rosanna by providing her Kind Hearts Gift-

“A massage would be absolutely heavenly!

An opportunity to switch off, relax and enjoy a little kindness towards myself would mean so much more than the treatment itself. Thank you”

Support someone’s wellbeing by donating a Healthy Mind Pack to person who draws on our support. The packs support mental wellbeing by providing people with activities and resources that encourage relaxation, creativity and enjoyment, while offering helpful distractions during difficult moments.

We have already been able to hand out a number of Healthy Mind packs including donating some to Making Space, Sherdley Court. Sherdley Court is a purpose built residential home for people living with mental health conditions. 

Resident Dennis was delighted with his healthy mind pack and soon got stuck into some of the activities.

Residential Home Manager Deborah Appleyard said:

"A big thank you from Dennis for his gift. I think his smile says it all! He really enjoyed spending the morning colouring and doing puzzles from his wellbeing pack."

Provide a gift that will continue to help the people who draw on our support long after Christmas. 

You could buy a special gift for someone living with dementia this festive season.

Petzzz animals are soft and adorable "breathing" dog or cats. They offer a comfort, security and familiarity for people who may have had pets in the past or just appreciate ability of an animal to soothe and support. 

A lady we support at our Rotherham Dementia Carers support service, felt a little overwhelmed when she first started attending meet ups run by the service. Everything changed when she spotted one of the Petzzz cats. From that moment on, they were inseparable, she spent the day holding the cat, smiling throughout, and was calm and reassured.

You can give the gift of a loyal companion to someone living with dementia.

Many of us love to indulge in a bit of self-care but that isn’t always possible for many of the people who draw on our support. Indulgence can be a luxury for many but you can help make this luxury possible for someone this festive season. 

Provide the gift of self-care for someone who needs your support. 

*Image for guidance

We all enjoy a gift that makes us feel warm, cosy and content. A Winter Warmer Pack will help a person who draws on our support to enjoy the benefits of a warm drink, a cosy blanket and they'll be ready to take on the winter elements with a scarf and gloves set.

*Image for guidance