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A Caring Christmas campaign has been launched at Â鶹´«Ã½ Leicester (Â鶹´«Ã½) so students and staff can give back to the community and help those in need of extra support over the festive season.

Â鶹´«Ã½ has had a tradition of serving Christmas meals to the elderly. This picture was taken in 2016

Recognising that the coming weeks will be a financial challenge for many, many more this year, Â鶹´«Ã½’s Engagement and Partnerships Team and the De Montfort Students’ Union (DSU) are calling on people to get involved in volunteering and donating opportunities that will cost little money but make a huge difference to those in need in Leicester and Leicestershire.

Opportunities include serving up Christmas dinners for the elderly, writing cards to send to people who may be lonely this Christmas, donating food for Age UK’s Hug in a Hamper and making contributions to a food bank in the St Matthew’s area of the city.

Fi Donovan, Head of Engagement and Partnerships at Â鶹´«Ã½, said: “Once again we are pleased to bring together a range of opportunities for Â鶹´«Ã½ staff and students to engage with local causes over the festive season.

“You can donate towards food hampers, volunteer a few hours of your time to serve Christmas meals to the elderly in the community, drop off some donations to go to local food banks or simply stop by the DSU to write a festive message for isolated people across Leicester.

“We know it will be a particularly tough Christmas for many this year, and I hope that the opportunities that we have pulled together in support of community partners can offer different ways to give back and show care towards others during this festive season.”

The full list of opportunities are:

• Volunteer to serve Christmas lunch for up to 300 elderly members of the community. Age UK needs volunteers to help on 13, 14, 15 December from 11.30am onwards at Clarence House in Leicester’s Humberstone Gate. A full briefing will be provided on the day and volunteers are encouraged to dress in festive jumpers/hats etc to add to the festive cheer. Email Michelle.Wright@ageukleics.org.uk to sign up and receive more information
• Leave a festive message in one of 200 Christmas cards which will go into parcels for isolated people in Leicester. Deadline for the cards is Friday 9 December. More details on how to get involved will soon be available at the DSU 
• Make a donation to the St Matthew’s Big Local which will ensure more people have a good meal over Christmas. Donations can be made at the DSU for items including soup, pasta, rice, tinned tomatoes, lentils, beans, pulses, tinned meat, te and coffee, tinned fruit, biscuits, toiletries, Christmas treats such as selection boxes and mince pies. The donation station will be in the DSU reception from 29 November until 9 December for staff and students to drop off items
• Donate £10 which pays for an Age UK ‘Hug in a Hamper’ full of essential food items and items for elderly people to keep warm, such as gloves, hat and a scarf. Details for how to donate can be found at DSU or make your own Hug in a Box
• Join the Leicestershire Cares #BagsofHope campaign. Register to receive a bag and fill it with goods worth £10-£15 (share the collection with friends) to ensure the most vulnerable groups do not get left behind this Christmas. You can also donate £3 via text.  or email neetu@leicestershirecares.co.uk