A Gift from Furzedown
1571. Anastasia Capewell
Anastasia Capewell, from London, has been fundraising for local charities throughout the pandemic, including for fellow Points of Light and founders of 'Critical NHS', Janneke Diemel and Niall Barrett.
Anastasia has been hosting raffles, as well as making and selling masks, and items of jewellery, to ensure charities and her local Wandsworth foodbank have still been receiving donations and can support those affected by the Coronavirus restrictions. Through her project, ‘A Gift from Furzedown’, she has also been filling over 280 hand-made stockings and tote bags to give out to families in need in her local area over Christmas.
In a personal letter to Anastasia, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
“Thank you for all that you have done to help your community. From fundraising for your local food bank, to hand making stockings and gift bags so that everyone has a gift over Christmas, you have been a source of light and comfort to those around you.
“The kindness shown throughout the country has uplifted all of our spirits and demonstrated the strength and solidarity that will help us to beat this virus.”
Anastasia said:
“In what has been a tricky year for so many, people’s kindness and generosity has shone through.
“My son and I started making ‘lockdown’ necklaces of hope and selling them, giving all the proceeds to our local charities, the Wandsworth food bank and the ‘Critical NHS’. It began months of fundraising, including local raffles, making and selling masks to raise money, and finally in November I started a project ‘A Gift from Furzedown,’ to give Christmas stockings from the community to the children in Furzedown from struggling families. The response was huge, and through the local schools, children’s centre and The Furzedown Project, we identified vulnerable children, and a few older members of our community. By this time there was a team of us, Lynn Selwyn-Reeves, Sarah Forester, Judi Gasser, Jane Tingle, Moira Harbord, myself and Adam Seymour-Davies. We handmade the beautiful stockings and bags and filled them with gifts that had been donated, and we delivered 283 stockings and bags throughout our community, with our love. The response from the recipients has been heartwarming.
“As long as there is a need we will continue to support our local charities who are helping the vulnerable and those on the frontline.”
Pictured below: deliveries of Christmas stockings throughout the local community, and volunteers from behind the project (Anastasia, bottom centre)
