Welcome to September’s message!
We have been out and about over the summer delivering birthday gifts to children all over Edinburgh. We have also made some wonderful connections with new referrers to our charity.
Interspersed through this email are short feedback quotes we have received over the last couple of weeks from parents to give you an idea of how our service impacts families.
“ An Open Hand made a world of difference, because nothing can replace the joy on a child’s face when they unwrap their gift and see what is inside! ”
A little gift for our parents
A few months ago we introduced a mug, containing tea, coffee and hot chocolate, as a small gift to the parent’s we deliver to. We have been delighted to find it has been well received and hope it it a reminder to all the parents we meet that they are thought of and supported.
Some of the feedback we have received includes:
“I felt included, as a mum I am always busy arranging stuff for kids so such kind of things can make a huge difference on mum’s mood overall”
“I loved the mug thank you for it was a lovely little surprise”
“ As a mum we do not get much but the cup and coffee sachets made my day. ”
“Thank you for the gift!”
I wouldn’t have been able to gift anything to our son otherwise so the support has been really appreciated.
Your support of An Open Hand, whether by donations, referrals, practical help or prayer is so gratefully received.
We have an ongoing need for financial support, so that we can continue to purchase birthday gifts and the contents of each family bag. Our Donate page on our website gives information on how to give or the direct link to our JustGiving page is An Open Hand.
We had a really positive experience with your service. The communication was clear and kind, and the level of personalisation made a huge difference—it didn’t feel generic at all, but truly tailored to my child’s interests. That care and attention is what makes your service stand out.
Since An Open Hand started, we have received applications for over 500 children in Edinburgh.
If you are working with a family in financial hardship who may require support with buying birthday presents head to Apply to find out more about applying.
Either I could do decoration/cake or gifts. This time we done both which was amazing – made it memorable
An Open Hand is run entirely by volunteers
Our charity is run solely by volunteers so we do ask for at least two weeks notice of any birthdays. This allows enough time to call the parent to find out what they would like to give their child, let them have time to think and decide, buy the gift, pack up the individual family bags and deliver everything before the child’s birthday.
Because our charity is run in our free time we might also run at a slightly lower capacity over school holiday time or deliver gifts earlier than the week before the birthday if the birthday falls in the holidays.
Many thanks for your assistance and understanding!!
My children absolutely loved the gifts, especially because they were so thoughtfully chosen based on their interests. My son was particularly excited about the electricity experiment kit—he was engaged with it straight away and it really matched his curiosity for science and how things work. It made him feel truly understood and special.
