AKW & DLP Give Back to the Community at Christmas

Throughout December 2025, colleagues working across AKW and DLP, both part of AKW Holdings Group have gotten involved with several fundraising and social value initiatives to give back to people living in our local communities.

Efficiency East Midlands’ Christmas Food Bank Drive & Fundraiser

Sales Director Simon Hancox and Sustainability Manager Lauren Jones attended and contributed to Efficiency East Midlands’ (EEM) annual Christmas food bank drive and fundraiser on behalf of AKW on Wednesday 3rd December.

The event was supported by a variety of EEM’s supply chain partners, including AKW, who along with members of the wider local community collected four tonnes of donations for two fantastic causes; The Trussell Trust Food Bank in South Normanton, and Bassetlaw Food Bank who operate in Manton and Retford.

This is the second event EEM have held and AKW have supported, with four times the amount of donations made in 2025 compared to the previous year. In addition, £4,000 was fundraised, which will go directly to both food banks to help them purchase urgently needed food and essential items for the people they support.

Volunteers Help to Build Gingerbread Houses & Make Greetings Cards

Four colleagues from AKW chose to spend a working day in December volunteering with local care home residents and day centre visitors, where they got the opportunity to help them build gingerbread houses and make greetings cards to help get them in the festive spirit.

Surveyor Michael Hall and Business Development Manager Andy Bowden visited the Age UK Dementia Wellbeing Centre in Gateshead. Meanwhile Chloe Bell and Lucy Moule from AKW’s Customer Services department got crafty with residents at Westmead Residential Care Home in Droitwich Spa.

Christmas Jumper Day & Cake Sale

Teams at AKW and DLP came together to celebrate Christmas Jumper Day and raise money through holding a Christmas cake sale. For a small donation, colleagues were encouraged to wear their favourite seasonal knits to the office and enjoy a variety of store bought and homemade treats to help raise as much money as possible.

At AKW in Droitwich Spa and Middlewich, teams successfully raised £155.44 which will be donated to Save the Children, who have spearheaded the annual Christmas Jumper Day campaign since 2012.

The team at DLP on the Isle of Man raised £142.89 and have decided to donate this to the Isle of Man Foodbank, which is the only food bank on the island and has supported local people in crisis since 2013.

Wates & Citizen Housing Social Value Project

AKW gladly supported the WPS Citizen Project Team, comprised of colleagues from social housing provider Citizen Housing, and property developer Wates who partnered for a Christmas social value project to deliver gifts to vulnerable children living in Citizen properties in the Midlands.

AKW were proud support the generous initiative, with Sustainability Manager Lauren Jones and Business Development Manager Craig Hateley teaming up to purchase, wrap and deliver 50 gifts for children aged between 1-16, who otherwise may have little or no gifts to open on Christmas Day.

Christmas Food Bank Collections

Colleagues at DLP organise an annual collection for the Isle of Man Foodbank every December which is gratefully received the week before Christmas. This year was no different, with hundreds of items generously donated from team members across the business.

AKW in Droitwich Spa also decided to collect for their local food bank, with £116.00 raised from their Christmas cake sale spent on long-life dried, canned, jarred or packeted food, sweet treats and toiletries from a local supermarket. This was combined with items kindly donated by colleagues before being donated for distribution to local families by the Trussell Trust.

Wrapping Christmas Gifts in aid of Children Today Charitable Trust

Colleagues from AKW in Middlewich supported a festive family fun day at Barons Quay shopping centre in Northwich, in aid of Children Today, a Cheshire-based charitable trust who provide specialised equipment and support to children and families in need.

The three volunteers – Claire Shaw, Becky Pickering and Ellen Sheriff – spent their day working with the charity to offer local shoppers a free Christmas gift wrapping service and assist families with festive craft activities, for which the Children Today team were incredibly grateful; “They were lovely to work with and brought such a positive energy.”

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