College News

QE’s Interact Club Spreads Festive Cheer

The Interact Club from QE have once again fully immersed themselves into the festive season by giving back to the community. This year, the group, which has close to 100 members, has supported a number of different charities and local residents with donations, kind gestures and festive cheer. Feeding Families and King’s Foodbank in Darlington received hampers of groceries which will allow families to enjoy Christmas, whilst Jessica and Abbie delivered gifts to everyone at the women’s refuge. To combat loneliness, students put together Christmas packages and sent 1000 cards to people living alone and in care homes. Thus far since the beginning of the pandemic, over 20000 letters have been sent to those living in the North East and Yorkshire. In addition to the cards and presents, the College hosts an annual Christmas party for older members of the community. However, this year, this wasn’t possible therefore the group packed a party into a box which included games, quizzes and fizz, and delivered it to a care home. With the winter months seeing temperatures plummet, the Interact Club collected 50 coats, hand-made hats, gloves and socks for local homeless charity, Nite Light. The organisation works with people living on the streets and families struggling financially. Students have also created over 200 individual colouring packs for children visiting hospital to provide a distraction from their worries and posted 900 leaflets which encourage people to have their real Christmas trees collected in the new year with proceeds going towards St. Teresa’s Hospice.

Nancy Wall, Interact Club, Co-ordinator, comments: ‘It’s important that we recognise that there are people in the community who need our support. Who knows, one day we may need to rely on the kindness of others. I’m incredibly proud of all of the work carried out by our students, I’m sure that they have made a huge difference to people’s Christmases. We have many more things planned for the new year and are looking forward to getting started’.

For more information on the College’s Interact Club, please contact Nancy Wall (nwall@qeliz.ac.uk).

The image attached features students delivering gifts to a local care home.