This Christmas, three local communities will enjoy a very special festive season as Dobbies reveals the winners of its Not Your Average Community campaign. 

The competition invited community groups, clubs, charities and neighbourhoods to apply and tell the Dobbies’ team about the work they are doing in their local areas and what they would do with the prize -  with three winning groups each receiving £1,000 to spend on Christmas trees, lights and decorations

Dobbies were inundated with entries from all over the UK and heard about the extraordinary work being carried out by volunteers and community works in their local area.

Now, after much deliberation, they have chosen the three winning entries.

Young Lives vs Cancer at Ciaran’s House from Edinburgh (pictured below), is a house offering free accommodation to families whose children are receiving cancer treatment in the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People. Parents and siblings can stay opposite the hospital for as long as they need. They wanted to make the house as festive as possible with trees, lights, wreaths and decorations for families to use in their rooms.

Sutton-based project, One Step at a Time, is small charity supporting families of children with special needs. They arrange accessible outings and coffee mornings for parents providing emotional support and somewhere to turn to in times of need. They are fully self-funded and used the prize to decorate their hall for Christmas with trees and lights.

St Leonard’s Daycare in Huntingdon (pictured below) is a charity-run day care, holiday and after school club for children aged 2 to 11. This rural village group rely heavily on donations. They wanted to spread some Christmas cheer to all their families and the wider community, with a new tree and indoor and outdoor decorations.

A member of the local Dobbies’ team met with representatives from each charity to help them select the best products for their requirements, as well as treating them to Christmas Afternoon Tea in the restaurant. 

Graeme Jenkins, CEO of Dobbies, said: “A huge congratulations to Young Lives vs Cancer at Ciaran’s House, One Step at a Time and St Leonard’s Daycare for winning our Not Your Average Community campaign this year. These projects are a true inspiration for their local communities. With Christmas just around the corner, we’re looking forward to seeing them spread some festive joy in their local areas. 

“A huge thank you to everyone who entered our Not Your Average Community campaign. It was wonderful to see so many great projects taking place across the UK.”

For more information on Not your Average Community: https://www.dobbies.com/not-your-average-community