One-third of all individuals and more than half of all children living in London live in poverty.  London is the wealthiest region in the UK, yet has the highest rates of poverty for working-age adults, children and pensioners of any region in England. Active in London since 1978, the Junior League of London (JLL) is a charity whose vision is a London where each person has the opportunity and means to prosper.  We provide volunteers and resources to support projects centered on our community focus of breaking the cycle of poverty in London.

For over 20 consecutive years, Holiday Hampers is our signature community project, as well as the longest-running community programme.  The project provides hampers filled with gifts, food, toiletries and other essentials for some of London’s most vulnerable populations during the holiday season.  In 2016, sponsors included: DK Books, Starbucks, Rapid Racking, In Kind Direct, and Cadogen Tate as well as individual donations to the programme.

Hampers are carefully customised to the needs of the recipients, whether for an elderly individual, a single mother escaping domestic violence, or families working their way out of poverty or homelessness.  We understand from our partners that our hampers are often the only gifts they receive, and they make a real difference in their lives.  Our partners in the programme include:  Cardinal Hume Centre, Family Action, Dashwood House, Family Friends, Hestia, Housing for Women, Notting Hill Housing Trust, St Vincent’s Family Project, and West London Action for Children.

As a West London Action for Children staff member reported, “The Hampers were the highlight of the Christmas activities for our clients. They made them feel cared for and far less isolated.”  Overall, our volunteers will assemble over 13,000 items into 600+ hampers, that will touch the lives of about 1,300 Londoners this year through the donated items.

The JLL relies on personal and business donations to run the programme and any contributions for this impactful programme make a difference.  Individuals or organisations can support Holiday Hampers by purchasing items from the JLL’s Amazon Giving Page here.  For further information about Holiday Hampers, view our video.