Staff at Blyth’s Draeger Safety UK have taken part in a ‘reverse advent calendar’ campaign in the run-up to Christmas to collect food and toys for local food banks.
The campaign follows a similar project in 2024 and has been supported across the company’s three UK sites: its headquarters in Blyth and offices in Aberdeen and Hemel Hempstead. It involves buying and donating a different food or other everyday essential item, such as toothpaste, as specified on the ‘reverse’ advent calendar, for each day in the run-up to Christmas.
The food and toys collected at the firm’s Blyth office are being donated to The Bay Foodbank in North Tyneside.
Adam Pope, Head of Safety Marketing, Dräger UK & Ireland, said: “Last year everyone really got behind our Christmas food bank collection, so we decided to repeat it this year, and the team have not disappointed. The idea is that each day in December, you donate an item to the collection. So, for example, on the 1st December it was a jar of jam, the 10th tinned fruit, and so on.
“As a family-owned business, supporting this type of work within our local communities is extremely important, both to colleagues and the senior leadership team.”
The company’s community work has also included a 10-year partnership with The Children’s Safety Education Foundation (CSEF) and work with the school reading organisation Chapter One. Dräger was also awarded the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Silver Award earlier this year following its ongoing commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant and its broader work with the UK military and wider Ministry of Defence.
Adam Pope said: “Staff have found it rewarding to take part and give something to others, especially at this time of year, and the reverse advent calendar has been a fun way of doing it.”
