For almost 20 years, staff and councillors at South Cambridgeshire District Council have donated Christmas presents to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundations Trust’s (CPFT) Fulbourn Hospital.
This year, a total of 134 gifts have been donated which will be given to patients being treated on the mental health wards. £330 was raised towards the purchase of gifts.
An appeal for the donation of presents was co-ordinated by the Council’s Personal Assistant Team, who also purchased and wrapped the gifts ready for handover before Christmas. The gifts were presented by Cllr Peter Sandford, Chair of South Cambridgeshire District Council, Elaine Field and Glenda Hansen from the Personal Assistant Team to Alex Gordon, fundraising manager for CPFT’s charity, Head to Toe.
Fulbourn Hospital – one of CPFT’s largest sites – houses a number of mental health inpatient wards delivering care to adults and older people with a wide-range of conditions.
Some patients will have limited visitors, and for those who need to spend Christmas in hospital, their time at one of the wards will be made a little easier knowing that someone has thought of them.
Cllr Peter Sandford, Chair of South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: "I am proud and delighted to continue the annual donation of gifts to the mental health inpatient wards. I hope these presents bring a little festive cheer and comfort to those that are spending Christmas in hospital. Thank you to our staff and councillors for their ongoing support, whether by adding an extra present to their shopping or contributing financially to make this possible.”
Alex Gordon from Head to Toe, said: “We are incredibly grateful to everyone at South Cambridgeshire District Council for their continued generosity and kindness. These gifts mean so much to patients who may be spending Christmas away from their loved ones, and we cannot thank the Council enough for their long-standing commitment.”
If you would like to find out more about Head to Toe which supports the patients and staff at CPFT, contact charity@cpft.nhs.uk
CPFT, which employs more than 4,500 staff, provides community physical health services for older people and adults with long term conditions, mental health services, children community services in Peterborough and learning disability services. The Trust is also renowned for its research and development work.
The donations to Fulbourn Hospital come after councillors unanimously agreed a motion on the topic of mental health support at December’s Full Council meeting. The motion that was backed requested that the Council looks at ways to increase promotion of mental health and wellbeing services to residents. It also outlined the possibility of exploring training for councillors and frontline colleagues so they can offer more support.
Findings from Cambridgeshire County Council’s 2025 Quality of Life Survey showed 28% of residents said they had struggled with their mental health over the past year. Among 18 to 24-year-olds, that figure rose to 44% - making them the most affected age group.
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