A consignment of Easter eggs will help struggling families celebrate the holiday weekend along the North Wales coast thanks to a local community group.<\/p>\n
The Hummingbird Project, has just taken delivery of 100 of the chocolate treats from Denbigh-based storage giant Lock Stock Self Storage and they\u2019ll soon be winging their way out for the Easter weekend.<\/p>\n
The not-for-profit Community Interest company, which was launched two and a half years ago, is based in Abergele and serves the North Wales coast from Prestatyn to Conwy and inland to Denbigh and Llanrwst.<\/p>\n
Founder Pam Lake began running it from her garage in Abergele but it has since expanded to the Hummingbird Hub in the town and to a storage unit at the nearby Lock Stock storage park at Pensarn.<\/p>\n
They aim to help people out with the everyday essentials including furniture, warm coats and even beds, cots, prams and household items.<\/p>\n
Pam said: \u201cWe began in 2021 having notice the impact of the cost of living crisis which had a devastating effect on people who were already struggling.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe worked for the first year at our home but the need was growing and we had to look for premises so we initially took a small unit in Abergele before acquiring our current Hub.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hired a 20-foot storage unit with Lock Stock to store our furniture and it is useful to have somewhere to keep large items ready for distribution.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe project is community led, and we respond to needs as they arise. We have found that many families are in need of beds and we have sourced and donated lots of these, together with bedding, duvets and pillows.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince last March we have provided 168 beds to homes, mainly single beds, as well as double beds and cots.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that many children sleep on the floor or with siblings and by providing beds we give them the space they need for a good night\u2019s rest.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese things cost money \u2013 even charity shops have to find money for rent which has gone up so their prices have as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve done 550 keep warm packs this winter with a beautiful fluffy blanket, a hot water bottle, hats, gloves, socks and even sachets of hot drinks and soups \u2013 they\u2019re like a warm hug.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was funded through the UK government Shared Prosperity Fund and their grant also enables us to host a weekly welcome session at the Hub and we\u2019ve also had a grant from Cartrefi Conwy housing association and support from the Big Lottery Fund.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone we help is referred to us by helping services, including schools, family teams, churches and local authorities.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt Christmas we bought 5,500 Christmas presents and they went out in three sessions over nine hours and every child received a Santa Sack with a book, chocolate and a teddy bear.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone has things they don\u2019t need any more and there are people who need things they haven\u2019t got and we try to be the go between.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rob Sharpe, a volunteer who manages the storage container at the Lock Stock site, said: \u201cDouble buggies are like gold dust and someone even went out and bought one for us.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt Christmas we had a young man come round from a local company to see what we needed and they all donated their Christmas bonus to be split between us and the local food bank \u2013 people are amazing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Project works using social media, and the Facebook Group The Hummingbird Project North Wales has over 2,000 members and is the best place to find out what we are working on each week.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lock Stock Regional Sites Manager Lee Hanson said: \u201cWe\u2019re always keen to play our part in the communities where we operate and we like to get involved with charities and good causes like the Hummingbird Project.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve seen how busy they are here in Abergele and the amount of demand there is for the services they provide and we\u2019re just happy to help out.<\/p>\n
Lock Stock, founded in Denbigh in 1999, is the UK\u2019s largest containerised storage company with almost 4,500 units providing over four million cubic feet of space at storage parks across North and Mid Wales and the border counties.<\/p>\n
Their existing sites stretch from Holyhead and along the North Wales coast at Porthmadog, Caernarfon, Bangor, Llandudno, Abergele and Rhyl, on the Dee at Flint, Saltney and Deeside and inland at Denbigh, Mold, Buckley, Wrexham and Newtown in Powys, at Oswestry and Shrewsbury in Shropshire and at Huyton, in Liverpool.<\/p>\n
Lock Stock also specialise in the off-site hire of containers, delivered to your location by their specialist lorry and hired on a month by month basis. The containers are 10, 20 and 40 feet in length.<\/p>\n
They can also use their lorry to relocate a container, contents and all, to a different Lock Stock site in the event of a house or business move.<\/p>\n
For information about Lock Stock Self Storage including off-site container hire contact them on 01745 817178 or go to https:\/\/lockstock.biz\/<\/a> and for more on The Hummingbird Project go to https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/986874828836967<\/a><\/p>\n