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The Red Hen Project distributes presents aided by support from Science Park




The Red Hen Project, a small Cambridge-based charity working with five primary schools in the north of the city, has been busy in the run-up to Christmas.

The team joined in Cambridge Science Park’s Christmas Market at the Trinity Centre last Wednesday (4 December), with a fundraising stall supported by Big Bear Creative in St Ives.

Some of The Red Hen Project team sorting toys, which were donated by the annual Bike Run which had to be cancelled because of the weather - but people still turned up in their cars to donate. Picture: Keith Heppell
Some of The Red Hen Project team sorting toys, which were donated by the annual Bike Run which had to be cancelled because of the weather - but people still turned up in their cars to donate. Picture: Keith Heppell

Jen Rutter, partnership lead at The Red Hen Project, said: “Cambridge Science Park nominated us as their charity, so all the stallholders donated money to us to be there.

“We raised over £700 and we handed out mince pies and mulled wine. We couldn’t have done it without the Big Bear Creative volunteers.

“And it was a great chance for us to meet everyone on the Science Park, meet the stallholders, and raise some awareness of the work we do.”

Jen added: “We were rushed off our feet – we gave out nearly 550 mince pies. It was great.”

On Monday (9 December), members of the Red Hen team were back in action, sorting toys at a location on the Science Park to donate to families in need.

The annual Bike Run, where bikers take toys to children at Addenbrooke’s – and in which The Red Hen Project is heavily involved – had to be cancelled the previous day due to high winds.

“We normally get two huge vans’ worth of toys donated,” said Jen. “We weren’t in that position this time, so we had to use some of our funds to purchase presents for the families.

“The bikers are such a generous group and they were just as frustrated as we were. Even in those poor conditions, some bikers came out in their cars and donated toys. We were over the moon.”

The charity will deliver presents to more than 120 families in CB4 – King’s Hedges, Orchard Park, Chesterton and Arbury – this week.

Jen added: “We deliver them early so our families know what they’re getting and don’t have to go out and buy things last-minute and risk getting into debt.”

The Red Hen Project team at the Cambridge Science Park’s Christmas Market at the Trinity Centre. Picture: Keith Heppell
The Red Hen Project team at the Cambridge Science Park’s Christmas Market at the Trinity Centre. Picture: Keith Heppell

For more information on The Red Hen Project, visit redhenproject.org.



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