Key Points
- The Mercury Shopping Centre in Romford has launched a ‘dream list’ appeal as part of the Giving Tree Christmas campaign, supported by the Recorder newspaper.
- The campaign, running for over 20 years, traditionally supports Havering Women’s Aid and, for the first time in 2025, partners with King George & Queen’s Hospitals Charity.
- Specific gift requests are listed on dreamlist.com under ‘The Giving Tree For Women’s Aid Havering’, including household goods, clothing, and toys.
- Donations aim to create personalised gift boxes for families and individuals in Havering refuge centres, plus one gift per child and adult in hospital over Christmas.
- Havering Women’s Aid operates two women’s refuges and over 30 apartments for women and children escaping domestic violence.
- A shopping centre spokesperson highlighted the needs of displaced families and hospital patients.
- Natalie Bays, shopping centre manager, praised shoppers’ generosity.
- New, unopened gifts accepted until 20 December 2025 at designated drop-off points: Mercury management suite, management office, or Lumiere cinema on level three.
- The initiative seeks to bring normality to those temporarily displaced and smiles to hospital patients during lonely times.
What is the Giving Tree Campaign at Mercury Shopping Centre?
The Giving Tree campaign represents a cornerstone of community giving in Romford, having operated for more than 20 years under the Recorder’s banner. As detailed in the initial coverage by the Recorder’s team, it has historically focused on aiding Havering Women’s Aid, which manages two women’s refuges and more than 30 apartments for women and children escaping domestic violence.
This year marks a significant expansion, with the campaign teaming up for the first time with King George & Queen’s Hospitals Charity. The goal remains clear: to assemble personalised gift boxes for every single family and individual residing in Havering refuge centres. Additionally, the appeal extends to providing one gift per child and adult staying in hospital over Christmas.
A comprehensive list of requested items is accessible by searching ‘The Giving Tree For Women’s Aid Havering’ on dreamlist.com. These include essential household goods, clothing, and toys, all selected to bring a sense of normality to lives upended by crisis.
Why Has the Campaign Partnered with King George & Queen’s Hospitals Charity This Year?
In a fresh development for 2025, the Giving Tree has broadened its reach beyond domestic violence survivors to include hospital patients. As reported across Recorder updates, this partnership with King George & Queen’s Hospitals Charity addresses the isolation many face during the holidays.
A spokesperson for The Mercury Shopping Centre stated:
“Staying in hospital can be a lonely time so it’s nice to be able to put a smile on people’s faces during these challenging times.”
This quote, attributed directly from the centre’s communications as covered by Recorder journalists, underscores the emotional uplift donations provide.
The collaboration ensures gifts reach both refuge residents and inpatients, amplifying the campaign’s impact during a season often marked by hardship.
What Specific Items Are on the Dream List?
Donors are encouraged to consult the ‘dream list’ on dreamlist.com for precise needs. Coverage from the Recorder highlights requests for household goods, clothing, and toys, all new and unopened to maintain hygiene and usability.
These items target the practical and comforting essentials for those temporarily displaced. As the shopping centre spokesperson noted in Recorder reports:
“These families often arrive with few possessions, making the aid of organisations like Havering Women’s Aid crucial in helping them transition to new homes.”
The list’s specificity allows contributors to make targeted purchases, maximising the aid’s effectiveness for refuge families and hospital stays.
How Does Havering Women’s Aid Benefit from These Donations?
Havering Women’s Aid stands at the heart of the campaign’s traditional focus. The charity oversees two dedicated women’s refuges alongside more than 30 apartments, offering safe havens for women and children who have fled domestic violence.
Donations directly support these residents by funding personalised gift boxes that restore a semblance of normalcy. Recorder coverage emphasises how such aid aids transitions to new homes, with the shopping centre spokesperson reinforcing:
“These families often arrive with few possessions…”
This year’s hospital extension complements the core mission without diluting support for Women’s Aid.
Who Is Natalie Bays and What Did She Say?
Natalie Bays serves as the shopping centre manager at The Mercury. In statements covered extensively by the Recorder, she praised the community’s response:
“We’re so grateful to our shoppers for their generosity and support during the busy Christmas period, proving, once again, just how generous our shoppers can be.”
Her comments highlight the campaign’s reliance on festive goodwill, even as shopping centres buzz with holiday activity.
Where and How Can Donations Be Dropped Off?
Contributions must be new and unopened, accepted until 20 December 2025. Drop-off points, as specified in Recorder announcements, include The Mercury management suite, the management office, or Lumiere cinema on level three of the centre.
The Mercury has already begun receiving donations, but prioritises dream list items for optimal distribution. This logistical clarity ensures smooth collection amid peak shopping times.
What Is the Ultimate Goal of the Christmas Appeal?
The campaign aspires to deliver a personalised gift box to every family and individual in Havering refuge centres, plus one gift per hospital child and adult over Christmas. Recorder reports frame this as a holistic effort to combat isolation and displacement.
By blending support for domestic violence survivors with hospital patients, the initiative fosters broader community solidarity.
How Has the Campaign Evolved Over More Than 20 Years?
Originating over two decades ago, the Giving Tree has grown from a local refuge drive into a multifaceted appeal. Recorder’s historical coverage notes its steadfast backing of Havering Women’s Aid, now enhanced by the 2025 hospital partnership.
This evolution reflects adapting needs, from refuge essentials to festive cheer for inpatients, maintaining relevance in Romford’s community landscape.
Why Is Community Generosity Crucial During Christmas?
The spokesperson’s insights, as quoted in Recorder pieces, illuminate the stakes: families arrive destitute, and hospital stays amplify loneliness. Natalie’s appreciation for shoppers’ generosity reinforces this.
In Romford, such drives prove the season’s spirit endures, turning individual acts into collective impact.
Background and Community Impact
The Mercury Shopping Centre’s appeal resonates deeply in Havering, where domestic violence affects countless lives. Havering Women’s Aid’s network of refuges and apartments provides critical escape routes, yet residents often start anew with nothing.
King George & Queen’s Hospitals Charity’s inclusion addresses another vulnerability—prolonged hospital stays over Christmas. Donations here promise not just items, but emotional solace.
Recorder-supported campaigns like this have distributed thousands of gifts historically, fostering resilience. As 2025’s deadline nears, the call intensifies: check dreamlist.com, shop the list, and drop off by 20 December.
