Thanks to the support of our colleagues at Progress Housing Group, we have helped to bring some festive cheer to our local communities this Christmas.

We continued our long-running campaign to support women, children, and young people at Key's South Ribble and Chorley women's refuges, and some of our incredible colleagues led fundraising for our most vulnerable and older tenants and our supported housing schemes.

Some of the fantastic work we've supported leading up to and over the Christmas period is listed below:

Property Services In the Know group and the employee digital Christmas card raised £1,015 to support our very own Key Unlocking Futures (which includes Clare House and The Base) and Rosemere Cancer Foundation and St Catherine's Hospice, two fabulous charities chosen by the team. 

For the past 20 years, our refuge and homelessness services have provided a 'Wish Tree' Christmas campaign to give gifts to women and children staying in our refuges, and young people staying in our supported housing schemes. This year, around 200 presents were delivered across the local community through our Key initiatives, including Clare House residents.

Businesses showed their support for Key Unlocking Future's first corporate fundraising campaign, Magic Key, donating a staggering £11,285. This figure includes money raised by the Property Services team which was match funded by the Group. You can find more information on the campaign here: Magic Key Christmas Fundraiser - Key Unlocking Futures (keycharity.org.uk)

Our colleagues at Progress Lifeline and the Progress Involvement team wore their sparkly Christmas jumpers or pyjamas and raised £100 for Lancashire Mind.

Our colleagues also gave their time to support our local communities:

Managers from Housing Operations volunteered their time at St Mary's Community Centre in Leyland, to help pack and deliver foodbank parcels to families through Leyland Food Bank. 

The Business Assurance Team joined tenants at Bridge Court in Lostock Hall to enjoy a festive afternoon tea and Christmas crafting session organised by the Progress Involvement Team. 

They volunteered their time to sit and chat with the tenants, helping them with creating Christmas crafts, putting up decorations throughout the communal areas of the scheme, and providing support to the Involvement Team for the afternoon.

And members of the local community also spread some good will to support our Key Unlocking Futures projects, as:

Ten-year-old Bleddyn contacted local supermarkets and businesses asking them to donate goodies for hampers, which were delivered to 20 residents at Foundations and Inn2. Read more here: BLEDDYN'S CHRISTMAS HAMPERS - Key Unlocking Futures (keycharity.org.uk)

Aaron, who had spent two Christmases in supported housing, put together 19 gift boxes for young adults aged 16 to 25 living at The Bridge and Parker House in Chorley. Read more here: Aaron's shoebox surprise - Key Unlocking Futures (keycharity.org.uk)

Jacqui De-Rose, Chief Executive of Progress Housing Group, said: "What a fantastic effort from all our colleagues here at Progress Group. Helping to make people's lives brighter this Christmas is such an important part of our work and we are delighted to be able to do this and make a difference.

"We are also very grateful to Bleddyn and Aaron for taking the time and effort to collect gifts which were very well received by our tenants, as well as the local community and businesses who donated to our appeals. It really does mean a lot to our residents and the charities we support."