STAFF at a dale builders’ merchants have taken Christmas shopping to an new level in their bid to spread a little happiness this year.
Following the success of a Christmas numbers prize draw last year, staff at S & A Builders Merchants, Harmire Industrial Estate, in Barnard Castle, decided to run it again this year.
For the past month customers were once again invited to pay £1 and pick a square between 1 and 1,500 to be in with a chance of winning prizes donated from their company’s suppliers, including a PS4 games console and two iPad tablets.
Money raised from the competition was spent on purchasing festive goodies, which were bagged up and ready to be given out to older residents who attend the various Teesdale Lunch Clubs.
Alison Thackeray, purchasing officer, said: “We said we weren’t going to do it again this year as it was so much work. But because we have had much more support than last year we have been able to increase the size of the bags and the number that we will be handing out.”
Last year staff handed out 270 goodie bags but this year have increased that number to 340. And after having to use one of their own tipper trucks to bring back all the goodies from the shops last year, they decided to buy online and have the items delivered.
Ms Thackeray added: “It was a bit of a nightmare as it still took ten delivery vehicles to bring everything.”
Glenys Catterson, owner a of S & A, said: “Everyone has been so helpful but it was a bit frustrating with the shops trying to buy things.
“We have learned not to click and collect orders on a Thursday as the shops don’t want to send out that amount of stock before the weekend.”
“We just want to say thank you to everyone for being so supportive in helping do this, especially to our suppliers for providing such great prizes.”
The goodie bags, which are filled with items including tea, coffee, sugar, jam and a few treats, will be given to members of Teesdale Lunch Clubs over the coming week, as well as to retired farmers by Utass (Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services) and members of a lunch club in Willington.
There are so many bags to be distributed a special staff rota has been prepared with employees all pitching in to help make sure the bags get out on time.
Ms Thackeray added: “I said after last year I wasn’t going to do it again, but we’ve gone bigger and we couldn’t have done it without people putting money in the draw.”
