Young Offenders Team to deliver Christmas cheer

In the run up to Christmas, young people from the Young Offenders Team will be delivering hampers of food and festive goodies to disadvantaged families across the borough.

The families receiving these gifts are nominated by staff who work with the Family Welfare Association and various Housing Offices including Freehold. 

The project is an annual venture undertaken by the young people who do lots of fundraising to pay for the hampers.

This year the team have sold handmade crafts and taken part in a charity car wash to top up the donations of tinned food and dried goods from collection points in the Young Offenders Team office, the Town Hall, Municipal Offices and Freehold Housing office.

Councillor Zulfiqar Ali, Cabinet Member for Children. Schools and Families at Rochdale Borough Council said: “Young people are very often portrayed in a bad light so it’s really good to see these young people giving something back to the community and entering into the festive spirit.”

All the hampers are made by the young people and are decorated with festive wrapping paper and ribbons ready for distribution.