Dobbies asks Swansea to nominate friends and family for thank you gifts

Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre retailer, is looking to say a special thank you to ‘not your average people’ from Swansea who have gone above and beyond for their local community this year.

Whether it is someone who has collected an essential shop for a neighbour, a teacher who has delivered additional support or a family friend who has taken on the role as the honorary Zoom quiz master, Dobbies wants to hear from you. Nominations can be made via the Dobbies website, with a host of gifts to be shared.

Dobbies has teamed up with its National Charity Partner, Teenage Cancer Trust, for this campaign as together they aim to give local heroes from Swansea a Christmas to remember.

Recent research commissioned by Dobbies and undertaken by Censuswide, asked people across the UK what made them feel most joy at Christmas, with the most popular answer being ‘giving gifts’ from 36% of the respondents. Dobbies and Teenage Cancer Trust want to spread some joy by helping people from Swansea give gifts.

Graeme Jenkins, CEO at Dobbies, said: “With everything from gifts and decorations to trees and festive food, we’re not your average garden centre when it comes to Christmas. It’s a magical time of the year at Dobbies Swansea and, together with Teenage Cancer Trust, we want to celebrate the people who have been spreading joy all year long by giving them gifts they’ll love.”

There will be up to 50 gifts each worth £100, thanking those who really deserve a Christmas treat. There will be the chance to select a gift that the nominee will love from festive decorations, gardening items, foodie treats and more.

Laura Pearce, Head of Partnership Management at Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “It’s been a turbulent and isolating year for all of us, so we’re delighted to come together with Dobbies to celebrate some of the local heroes who’ve helped make 2020 a little brighter.

“This Christmas will be especially difficult for young people with cancer, many of whom are still particularly at risk from coronavirus. Dobbies ongoing support for Teenage Cancer Trust is helping us make sure that young people don’t face cancer alone, this Christmas or in the future.”

Teenage Cancer Trust provide world-class cancer services for young people across the UK, including Angel (pictured). Aged 22, Angel was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2018 and was receiving radiotherapy in the lead up to Christmas. Knowing how much Angel longed to spend Christmas Day at home with her family, her Teenage Cancer Trust nurse made this happen, giving Angel “the best Christmas present ever.”

The campaign also comes as Dobbies launches it’s Christmas campaign, The Joy of Dobbies, which aims to bring to life the magical experience of a trip to Dobbies during the festive period and the retailer’s new positioning, Not Your Average Garden Centre.

To make a nomination, visit the Dobbies website and complete a simple form. All nominations will be reviewed by Dobbies and Teenage Cancer Trust, with gifts awarded to people from across the UK.

For more information visit https://www.dobbies.com/content/not-your-average-people.html

For the Dobbies Christmas Look Book: https://www.dobbies.com/content/about-dobbies/media-centre.html
For free for use Christmas images: https://www.pressloft.com/app/press-office/dobbies/collections
For Christmas podcasts: https://www.dobbies.com/content/podcast.html

1 Survey of 2,007 nationally representative UK respondents (aged 16+) undertaken in October 2020 by Censuswide.