Due to the efforts of a group of Nayland students, some needy families will be receiving special gift baskets this Christmas season.

Ysabella Abel, Astrid Sayer, Lovinia Pluck, Lois Breukel, Jess Scott and Pippa Sussex, all in Year 10, along with the help of the Head of ESOL Shellee Hall, took it upon themselves to fundraise, gather donations, buy items and then make up the gift baskets, which are designed to make Christmas day special for some kids that might’ve gone without.

Ms Hall had been in contact with the families that were to be on the receiving end of the gift baskets and helped the girls to choose what would go in each basket by giving them a brief rundown of the ages, interests and needs of the kids within the various families. Other than that information,  the receiving family’s identities were kept anonymous from the girls

The students got donations of items and money from the community, staff and students to aid in creating the baskets. Several teachers donated prizes that could be raffled off for donation money or added to the gift baskets themselves. Art Teacher Stacey Gundry raffled off a piece of jewellery that her husband (a jeweller who works under the name Lexgun Jewellery) had made, raising $300. Business Studies teacher Murray King donated a prize pack he had won on the girls’ behalf.

Still left with a shortfall in the money they needed, Pippa and Lovinia took to the streets, busking next to the Nelson Saturday market, raising a further $180 for the cause.

A huge thank you to the girls, Ms Hall and everyone in the Nayland Community who contributed to this fantastic initiative.