Pyramids Shopping Centre delivers Christmas wishes to Birkenhead
21st December 2017
Community receives big surprises this festive season
The Pyramids Shopping Centre goodwill genie proposed to grant Birkenhead with 10 Christmas wishes, but went above and beyond to sprinkle a double helping of magic throughout the town.
Last month, Pyramids launched an appeal to reward deserving organisations, businesses, services and people as part of its festive campaign, ’10 Christmas Wishes’. With more than 150 nominations submitted through its website, the centre decided to spread the festive cheer further by more than doubling the amount of wishes it originally proposed to grant.
“Giving back to the community is a responsibility we take very seriously here at Pyramids and we do as much as we can to help make a difference,” said Centre Director Derek Millar. “From hairdos and hampers to gift cards and holidays, we’ve treated many to some great surprises this festive season.
“It was a really difficult task picking just 10 wishes to grant, so we’re thrilled that we were able to extend the Christmas joy and say, ‘thank you’ to many more.”
Over £2,000 worth of food and supplies – including tents, sleeping bags, toiletries, underwear and trainers – were delivered to Charles Thompson’s Mission, a charity which helps the homeless, poor and needy out of poverty. Bernie Frost, centre manager at the mission, described the donation as ‘amazing generosity’ and said the items would ‘go a long way in helping those in real need in the community’.
Derek continued: “Reading through all the nominations was incredibly inspiring, humbling and heartwarming. A lot of our shoppers requested help for the homeless and Claire House Hospice so we listened and helped them with what we could. We’re really pleased that the hospice will receive new sensory instruments for their music sessions with the little ones.”
Other wishes granted included one local resident who hoped for everyone to have a ‘safe party season’. More than 100 personal attack alarms were given out by Pyramids’ retailer, Trespass, with more donated to RASA Birkenhead – a support centre for men, women and children who have experienced rape, abuse or sexual violence in their lifetime. The Works also gifted the charity with arts and craft supplies for the workshops held for the young.
Marks & Spencer also provided hampers for some of its older customers and a shopping spree for one lucky shopper who had a particularly bad year and was in need of a treat. Derek commented that the campaign had been a huge success.
He said: “Birkenhead is a great town filled with wonderful people with big hearts. It has been a wonderful experience for us and it has further reiterated just how kind and caring our community really is.
“Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and submitted nominations, it has truly been a joy for us here at Pyramids to make these wishes a reality. We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and New Year.”