Amro supports Christmas gifting initiatives in Lewisham and Sutton

The Bank of Things is a charity initiative run by Lewisham’s Young Mayor Programme and Lewisham Local, focused on addressing poverty and the lack of essential resources for young people aged 11 to 25 in the borough.

Young people facing hardship can visit the Bank of Things to collect necessities such as toiletries, school supplies, and other essential items, helping them to thrive in their daily lives.

We are extremely grateful for the generous support of our design team consultants working alongside us on the redevelopment of Lewisham Retail Park, including JTP Architects, RBA, Elliott Wood, Expert MEP, Savills and The Townscape Consultancy. Together, we have donated over £1,000 worth of gifts to the Bank of Things Christmas Gift Appeal.

The gifts were presented at the Young Mayor’s Advisor meeting on Monday 9th December, where Amro and JTP Architects hosted a design workshop with the advisors to help shape the vision for the ground floor uses proposed within the Lewisham Retail Park redevelopment.

Morgan Seward, Chair of Young Advisors, said: “Thankyou Amro for sending us donations to the Bank of Things, it really makes a huge difference to those who are struggling to find the school supplies and home equipment that they need for their lives.”

In addition, we are pleased to strengthen our ongoing relationship with Sutton Women’s Centre, which empowers women in Sutton to reach their full potential. The Centre provides essential services, including counselling and educational programs, with a particular focus on supporting survivors of domestic abuse.

Together with the design team consultants on the redevelopment of Quadrant House in Sutton, including HTA Architects, Chase Sinclair Clark, Hodkinson, Skelly & Couch, and Architectural Aerodynamics, we are donating goody bags to support women and children using the Centre during the holiday season.

One of the parents receiving the gifts said: “I just wanted to say thank you and let you know how grateful I am for your present donations. I've got five kids, aged 15, 13, 7, 6 and 4yrs and your presents helped me give them a Christmas when I wasn't able to get them much this year at all.”

Sutton Women’s Centre Manager, Heather Smiles, added: “Thank you so much for your generosity and support. Our service users really struggle at this time of year, so to be given a helping hand to provide their families with a gift is a massive help. Knowing that people are kind and thinking about them means so much to women who haven't had much experience of kindness in their lives.”

For more information about donating to either of these worthwhile projects, please visit The Bank of Things Lewisham and Sutton Women’s Centre.