Sponsor a Christmas hamper to spread festive comfort & cheer

For the eighth year in a row, The Lewis Foundation, which provides free gifts and support packs to adult cancer patients in 17 hospitals across the region, including Bedford and Luton & Dunstable Hospitals, will be hand-delivering surprise hampers in the lead up to Christmas.

The sponsored hampers will be gifted to patients in their homes and on the wards and will be packed full of festive treats from Waitrose. Each hamper costs £45 and The Lewis Foundation’s co-founders Lorraine and Lee Lewis are looking for businesses or individuals to fund the cost of the hampers. Members of the public can nominate an adult they know who has been diagnosed with cancer to receive a surprise hamper, as long as the nominee is in an area where The Lewis Foundation currently has a hospital partnership.

Any businesses that do sponsor a hamper will have their logo included on the hamper tag, alongside their business web address and a message to the recipient. Individual sponsors will also be able to include a message to the recipient of their hamper. As an additional thank-you, The Lewis Foundation will share the names and logos of sponsors across all of the charity’s communications and social media channels.

Lorraine said: “Our annual Christmas hamper campaign is made possible year after year thanks to the generosity of the local community. Our hampers bring a smile to adult cancer patients who are often going through a difficult time receiving treatment. We hear so many patients say that they can’t afford the luxuries that a great many of us take for granted at Christmas, so it really is a joy to be able to deliver the hampers and to see how excited people are to receive them.”

A daughter of a patient who received a hamper from The Lewis Foundation got in touch with the charity back in December: "My mum has asked me to email you on her behalf to thank you for the lovely hamper that she received in hospital. Obviously, she had hoped to go home for Christmas and was rather sad at having to spend it on the ward, but your hamper really helped to brighten her day, and we met her with a massive smile on her face when we visited."

Another thank you note read: "I want to say a massive thank you to you and your supporters for the beautiful Christmas hamper that was given to my husband yesterday. He is very poorly but your gift cheered him and me at this very difficult time. The hamper was full of delicious Christmas goodies. Your charity is doing amazing work helping adult cancer patients, all of whom I’m sure are so grateful for your kindness and support. Thank you."

With a team of almost 50 volunteers and hundreds of regular supporters, The Lewis Foundation works closely with 17 hospitals across the Midlands and East of England, hand-delivering 2,000 gift packs every month to adult patients undergoing cancer treatment. Packs contain overnight essentials and toiletries, letter writing kits, miniature radios complete with batteries and headphones, and lots more.Each hamper contains items such as Christmas puddings, mince pies and Prosecco, and costs £45.

For more information about The Lewis Foundation, to donate to the Christmas hamper campaign or to nominate a hamper recipient, visit www.thelewisfoundation.co.uk/christmashamper24 by 18th November.