Eastleigh College student Sophie, who is currently studying Level 3 Accountancy while doing her Apprenticeship with Hampshire County Council, has warmed the hearts of the community with her generous donations to vulnerable young people this Christmas.
Sophie put her passion for supporting care-leavers into action and organised a successful present collection for young people leaving care, after hearing that care leaving teams in Hampshire were looking for present donations.
In just four weeks Sophie collected an astonishing 2,000 presents which will benefit young people from four care-leaving teams, covering Havant, Basingstoke, Fareham and Totton.
Sophie explains why she put all her efforts into the project to help young people, “I am a care-leaver and was in similar situations to these young people, where I didn’t feel like I could talk to anyone. I don’t want other young people to think they’re on their own this Christmas.”
To deliver the presents in time, Sophie enlisted the help of a local company who donated a van to deliver the gifts to the local areas. Sophie’s present collection has finished for this year but you can still donate Christmas gifts to vulnerable people by taking your donations to the YMCA in Southampton, where Sophie has also volunteered in the past.
Eastleigh College is still open during office hours although our main reception and entrance on Chestnut Avenue is closed until 7 September. This is part of our commitment to ensure strict social distancing measures remain in place in all areas. Looking forward to welcoming new learners during Enrolment Week ready for the start of the new term!
In a bid to support the Solent and South Hampshire’s economic recovery in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Eastleigh College has launched an ambitious and collaborative pledge which aims to benefit individuals, employers and communities across the region. The pledge has been developed with support from a numbers of stakeholders including business groups, employers, councils, schools and University of Portsmouth.