Banbury Circle of Kindness Project delivers gift packs to key workers

The Banbury-based social enterprise Visit Banbury Community Interest Company used donations from local people to thank some very deserving key workers on the front line.

Following a successful appeal for donors, a number of people came forward to offer to donate money to help make the Banbury Circle of Kindness a reality and they chose two donors from the area to support the first act of kindness.

Many key workers have been supporting the Banbury community since lockdown in March and so they chose the Cherwell District Council refuse collectors based in Banbury who’ve been working tirelessly throughout lockdown.

Through the donations the project received they were able to make gift packs for the key workers, which included drinks from the White Horse pub in Banbury. The gift pack also included some soaps, snacks and chocolates from Nothing But Footprints, Banbury’s own dedicated Zero Waste shop.

These gifts were made possible through donations from Neil Wild of Wild Property Consultancy and Brian Auld with support from Visit Banbury Community Interest Company.

The directors of Visit Banbury CIC recently delivered the gift packs to the waste and recycling team members at Thorpe Lane depot in Banbury.

Kirsty Leahy, director of Visit Banbury CIC, said: “I woke up the next day and my heart felt so full after we’d completed our first Circle of Kindness.

"And the really cool part? Being kind is good for you. The science behind it is that it boosts serotonin and dopamine which are neurotransmitters in the brain that gives you feelings of satisfaction and well-being.

"Kindness also releases feel good hormones, eases anxiety, it’s good for your heart, can reduce stress and can help you live longer. I thank everyone who made this #BanburyCircleOfKindness possible. I can’t wait to get going with our next projects."

Neil Wild said: “We’re living in interesting times. It is great to be able to express positivity and thanks whenever possible. This is one small way.”

Brian Auld said: “One positive to come out of the current crisis is that we have been brought together as families, friends, neighbours and communities.

"We need to say 'thank you' to a large number of dedicated people and to get our local economies re-started. Banbury Circle of Kindness perfectly meets both objectives. I would encourage everybody who is fortunate enough to be able to support this excellent scheme to make their contribution.”

Ken Thompson, with The White Horse pub, said: “As both Eileen and I are 'shielding' during Covid, it was a great privilege to be asked to help support 'Banbury Circle of Kindness' as we have been unable to support other activities due to having to keep our distance.”

Dan and Vi with Nothing But Footprints said: “Circle of Kindness has been a fantastic initiative which has helped to support us, as a small independent business, through what has been a particularly difficult time for anyone starting out.

"We have been more than happy to contribute further to it ourselves, as we really wanted to show some love and support to those who have truly been on the front line throughout this pandemic. We are humbled by the support that we have received locally by both donors to this initiative, and the Visit Banbury CIC team, for making such a positive action out of the chaos.”

If you are a donor who would like to get involved in future 'Banbury Circle of Kindness' projects you can email [email protected] or contact Steve Gold on 07932 164663 or Paddy Patterson on 07455 007293.