Local family-owned travel agency, Select Travel Holidays, are hoping that fellow Bedfordians would help them make Christmas that little bit more festive for vulnerable local families by donating to their gift Wishlist.
For the last couple of years, the team at Select Travel Holidays – and their clients – have taken part in the Bedford Love In A Bag initiative, but this year they were inspired by their travel partners Latin Routes (a South American specialist tour operator) in donating gifts to families.
Owner Rachel Wright has been a part of the Bedford Kindness Facebook page for a few months, and it was through that page that she found a suitable partner for her project, the ‘Families First Bedfordshire, Early Childhood Partnership, Powered by One YMCA.’
Rachel explained why she wanted to help local families this Christmas. “As travel specialists, we like to think that most of our work helps people’s dreams come true, but this year has been an entirely different – and difficult – experience for all of us.
“Covid-19 has changed all of our lives, even right down to some really mundane, trivial or every-day things that we took for granted, and it’s been incredibly challenging (including for our industry), but it’s also really impacted on those who were already struggling.”
“We know that this Christmas is going to be completely different to what we’re used to, and although we now have a slightly clearer idea of how it may look, it’s still going to be a very unusual Christmas, and hopefully one that we won’t have to have again!
“This year, most of our work hasn’t been about helping people’s dreams come true, but we would still like to try to turn that around a bit in time for the festive season for some local families.
“I also think that this year has really made us focus on our own local communities and local businesses, which we’ve found inspiring, but I was also personally really moved and inspired by Sir Captain Tom, and felt very proud of him as a local hero. So, we wanted to give back in some way to our local community too.
“Given the pressures and challenges brought on by Covid-19 this year, many Bedford families will be struggling to buy presents for their children.
“As both a family-run business, and proud Bedfordians, we would like to donate Christmas gifts for vulnerable children and families in our local community living in poverty, who were already facing their own challenges before being compounded by Covid-19.
“That’s why we partnered with Families First Bedfordshire so that we can help those families most in need. We have been thrilled by the response from our clients, but it would be great if we could help even more local families!’
To donate, all you need to do is select a gift from this Wishlist. Once you get to the check out, select the delivery option for ‘Mrs R H Wright, Bedford, Beds – Gift Registry address.’
If you do not have an Amazon account, please contact Select Travel Holidays on 01234 326 758 or sales@cruiseselect.co.uk to let them know which gift(s) you would like to select, and they will contact you to arrange donating on your behalf.
In partnership with Select Travel Holidays
