Article updated: 12 December 2025

The spirit of giving shone brightly this Christmas as Marble Arch employees rallied together for our annual Festive Donation Drive, raising over £2,000 worth of essential items for local charities.

Staff members from across the district responded to carefully curated wish lists, targeting the most in-demand and under-donated items. Their generosity will support those who rely on food banks, help people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and bring extra Christmas magic to children living with learning disabilities. Thank you to every one of Santa’s secret helpers who contributed to this year’s appeal.

Colleagues at 5 Marble Arch, Tate & Lyle, Bridgepoint and Bacchus Agency donated food items to help FoodCycle Marylebone meet increased winter demand. Each week, the organisation runs a free three-course vegetarian community meal that brings people together to share food, conversation and companionship, helping to reduce social isolation. The service regularly welcomes 50 guests per sitting, with numbers rising at Christmas, last year’s festive meal catered for 75 people. All guests receive a food surplus bag to take home, helping weekly food budgets stretch further.
Donations of store cupboard essentials such as tinned white beans and olive oil help reduce food expenses for the volunteer team, ensuring lesser-donated items can be put to good use. Our members also contributed Christmas treats including chocolates and sweets to add festive cheer to everyone’s food surplus bags.

Staff at Bacchus Agency, FRAMELESS and London Marriott Hotel Marble Arch donated warm clothes and essentials to The Passage, a homeless charity working at the forefront of homelessness in Westminster, which accounts for 20% of London’s rough sleepers. Donations included fleeces, jackets, hats, scarves, gloves, flasks, travel mugs, toiletry kits and Primark gift vouchers. The Passage’s Resource Centre provides immediate welfare to those experiencing or at risk of homelessness, serving hot meals and providing shower and laundry facilities. Its Clothing Store, stocked entirely by donations, is a vital service ensuring anyone facing a night on the streets has access to warm clothing and winter essentials. Thermos flasks keep drinks warm on cold nights, while gift vouchers help the charity remain responsive to demand by purchasing under-donated items.

Wrapping up our donation drive, quite literally, Berkeley employees donated beautifully gift-wrapped toys to the Tresham Centre for Children and Young People with Disabilities. The centre works daily with around 50 young people aged 5 to 18 who live with mild to severe learning disabilities. The three-floor hub runs after-school, half-term and holiday activities where young people can socialise and learn new skills. Donated items included anti-stress sensory toys, electronic doodle pads and noise-cancelling headphones. By providing controlled sensory input, these toys help children with autism regulate their sensory experiences and develop their senses in a safe, supportive environment.

Marble Arch BID can help facilitate donations year-round, so if you have nearly-new surplus office equipment, or simply would like to know more about local donation needs, please contact community@marble-arch.london.

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Article first published: 31 October 2025

Our festive donation drive is now closed.

If you and your colleagues want to spread some Christmas cheer but are not sure where your support is most needed, our Festive Donation Drive is the perfect place to start. Run as part of our Community Programme, this annual initiative connects Marble Arch BID members with trusted local causes in need of a little extra help during the winter months.

In line with our Charitable Giving Policy, the Festive Donation Drive responds to the growing number of donation offers we receive from our business members at this time of year. It is designed to make giving easy, purposeful and impactful, ensuring every item supports local people through reputable organisations.

Getting involved could not be easier. Simply choose a local cause to support, receive a tailored wish list and ready-to-use materials from our team, and drop off your donations at a nearby collection point, or arrange a courier collection directly from your office by 8 December 2025. We will take care of the rest, ensuring every gift reaches those who need it most. Every donation goes directly to meeting a genuine local need, making a meaningful difference right on your doorstep.

Our community partners remind us each year why this campaign matters so much:

• The winter period sees a significant surge in demand for local community services, particularly food banks, community meals and homeless shelters.
• Christmas can be a particularly difficult time for some isolated and vulnerable residents, so going the extra mile with gift donations can make a huge difference.
• The end of year is a perfect time to recognise and celebrate the work of dedicated volunteers whose work throughout the year can often go unnoticed.

How to take part

We aim to make donating as simple as possible for BID member colleagues to unite around a local cause.

Step One: Choose one of our four Christmas Good Causes (Marylebone FoodCycle, Open Age, The Passage, or The Tresham Centre for Disabled Children & Young People). Once you have chosen your charity, email our Community team to let us know who you would like to support.

Step Two: Our Community Manager will then send you everything you need, the full Wish List for your chosen charity, along with ready-to-share promotional materials to inspire colleagues and get the donation ball rolling.

Step Three: Drop off your donation at a local donation point or ask Community Manager to courier larger collections direct from your office. We will inform you of your nearest collection point when you sign-up.

Quick guide to gift giving through our Festive Donation Drive

To help keep gift giving fun and safe for everyone, we recommend following the guidance below.

Gift wrapped items

Items can be donated either gift-wrapped or unwrapped, unless specified in our promotional poster.

If items are gift-wrapped, please include a categorisation tag as a guide for how the community partner can distribute them. Please consider using the following:

• Age Range (e.g. child / teenager / adult)
• Gender (e.g. male / female / gender-neutral)
• Gift Type (e.g. toiletries / chocolates)

For instance:

• Female, adult, toiletries
• Gender-neutral, teenager, headphones

Descriptive tags for gift-wrapped items will be for the use of charity partners only, to distribute accordingly. These will be removed before being handed out to recipients.

Personalised messages

You are welcome to write a short individual message on your gift for the recipient, if you wish, in addition to any other instructions about labelling. However, please do not share your personal information. Signing the tag with your first name is fine, or you may wish to sign from Santa Claus.

Prohibited items

Some of our community partners have strict policies regarding gifts and are unable to distribute the following items, so please do not purchase the following:

• Alcohol or gift vouchers for any establishment that serves alcohol (e.g. do not purchase supermarket gift vouchers)
• Candles of any description – due to fire safety risks
• Homemade items – due to legal and safety standards
• Toys that do not appear on the pre-approved list

If you are unsure if a gift item is suitable, please contact our Community Manager for advice.

For further information, please contact our Community team. Thank you in advance for all your support!

Please note the Marble Arch Festive Donation Drive closes on 8 December 2025.