Ayton Lodge and the Cause Foundation joined forces to bring festive cheer to 28 families in Great Ayton. Recognizing the commendable efforts of the Cause Foundation in Teesside, Ayton Lodge contributed to the foundation's mission of bringing some joy to the community during the holiday season.

The Cause Foundation has a longstanding commitment to delivering Christmas parcels in the Teesside area. Since its inception in 1987 delivering just 25 hampers, it has seen a remarkable increase in its impact, now reaching 1,800 families. Despite the foundation's initial perception that the Great Ayton/Stokesley area was affluent and thus not in need of hampers, a closer look revealed a different reality.

Upon reaching out to the local primary school, the Cause Foundation discovered that there were indeed 28 families in the Great Ayton community who could benefit from some support during the festive period. This prompted Ayton Lodge to donate £500 in December to the Cause Foundation, to cover the cost of the 28 Christmas hampers.

The school were able to give the dynamics of each of the family such as Mum, Dad, Boy 7 years, Girl 5 years to the Cause Foundation, so they could include a relevant present for each family member.

To ensure anonymity, only a few school staff knew who the families were, and the hampers were personally delivered to the recipient's home by the school staff. Each of the hampers has an A4 leaflet explaining what the Cause Foundation does, and a separate A4 page from the school, thanking Ayton Lodge’s generosity for making the hamper possible.

In the photograph, are the Lodge Charity Steward ( centre), three school staff members, and two trustees from the Cause Foundation with some of the hampers ready for distribution.

Further information on the Cause Foundation is at https://www.cause-foundation.org.uk/