Wrexham University ‘Giftmas’ tree appeal inspired by staff member’s own experience of care system

Date: Wednesday, December 11, 2024

A staff member at Wrexham University has used her own experience as a care leaver to spearhead the institution’s Christmas gift charitable donation drive this year.

Mary Ainsworth, Entrepreneurship Assistant who works within the University’s Enterprise and Entrepreneurship team, has brought colleagues together from the University’s Civic Mission and People and Culture teams to set up a ‘Giftmas' tree to encourage staff and students to buy Christmas presents for care-experienced children and young people, aged between six months to 25 years old, in support of Comfort Cases UK’s Christmas appeal.

Mary Ainsworth, Entrepreneurship Assistant who works within the University’s Enterprise and Entrepreneurship team.

Comfort Cases UK are a charity that work to provide support for care-experienced children and young people. Their Comfort Cases are backpacks filled with comfort and personal care essentials for children entering the care system, or being supported by charities or other organisations.

The Giftmas Tree has been located in the Reception area of the University’s Wrexham campus, decorated with a variety of different gift tags. Each tag listed an item specifically requested by a care-experienced young person and covering a wide range of budgets and ages.

There was also a virtual Giftmas Whiteboard, where staff from the University’s School of Art, St Asaph and Northop campuses could also get involved and select gift tags.

More than 200 gifts were donated by the University’s staff and students – and the team are now heading to Hertfordshire this week where Comfort Cases UK are based to drop off the gifts, ahead of them being given to the young people for Christmas.

Mary, who is a proud care leaver and Wrexham University graduate, brought the charity to the attention of her colleagues at the University. Having lived experience in the care system, Mary knows only too well how the struggle, and impact of having no sense of belonging or ownership, can impact a child, life-long.

She said: “I first went into care when I was just five years old, and then again when I was 11 – and I recently spoke to my foster mum from aged five, and she said when I arrived at her home, I came to her with just the clothes I was wearing and a bag of colouring pencils, that was it.

“When I discovered Comfort Cases, their mission resonated with me right away. Four out of five children report their treasured belongings are shoved in bin bags when they move from home to home – I was one of those statistics.

“I can’t tell you how having that sense of ownership when you feel like you don’t belong anywhere, even if it’s something small, can make a world of difference to care-experienced children and young people.

“Children and young adults like myself do leave the care system – but the care experience doesn’t leave us. This is why I wanted to highlight and support Comfort Cases.

“I’m incredibly thankful for my colleagues – particularly those from the Civic Mission and People and Culture teams – for understanding why this is so important to me, and for allowing this year’s Giftmas tree to be in aid of this charity.

“For me, the thought of those young people receiving their gifts and having something special of their own, makes me feel incredibly overwhelmed. I know that receiving a gift that’s just for them will be a real core memory for them – and that will stay with them.”

Nina Ruddle, Head of Public Policy Engagement and Civic Mission Lead at Wrexham University, said: “The response to our Giftmas tree has been absolutely phenomenal, we can’t thank colleagues and students enough for their kind gifts and support of this incredible initiative.

“Christmas can be a particularly difficult time for care-experienced children and young people and can amplify feelings of loneliness and isolation. Our aim through our Giftmas tree was to help provide young people with comforting gifts to help remind them that they are not alone.”

Rose Norton, Organisational Development and Diversity Advisor at the University, added: “It’s been wonderful to see the Giftmas Tree presents come in thick and fast – it’s been fantastic to see our community come together in this way, all in the hopes of making Christmas that little bit more special for those children and young people, who are being supported by Comfort Cases.

“I’d also like to give a special mention to Mary for driving this forward and sharing her own experience in order to inspire others. She is an incredible advocate for care-experienced children and young people.”