A company is distributing 50 hampers to charities in the island for Christmas.

Nampak International Limited, which manufactures and supplies packaging products, is once again donating hampers to local charities to celebrate the festive season.

With an office in Douglas made up of 13 staff, the company puts together the hampers annually, having started five years ago with one being given to charity Women’s Aid.

The following year Nampak made up five hampers from staff contributions and delivered these to five Isle of Man charities.

Steve Marsland, procurement and logistics manager, said: ‘In 2020 we wanted to try to better the number of hampers that we had made and given out in previous years, so we took the decision to contact other Isle of Man based businesses to ask if they wanted to join in and contribute with contents for hampers.

‘Eighteen other businesses joined us and contributed food, drinks, toys, clothes, meals out, activity day trips out, vouchers for local butchers, etc.

‘Combined with the Nampak staff contributions we managed to build 12 hampers, which all included a printed card showing all the companies that had contributed, all hampers were then given to local Isle of Man charities for Christmas.

‘We did the same again in 2021, this time managing to get 44 Isle of Man based companies to join and contribute with contents for the hampers, together with staff contributions we managed to build and deliver 27 hampers to local Isle of Man charities.’

This year, the company planned to do the same again and hoped to achieve the same success as 2021 but managed to beat it.

It reached out to 50 local businesses with a request for any help they could give in providing contents for the hampers to be made.

Contents include food, drinks, toys, chocolates, vouchers, toiletries, clothes, and any items that are felt suitable for the Isle of Man charities hampers at this time of the year.

Mr Marsland added: ‘As you can imagine it takes quite a bit of time receiving and gathering up the contents before building and delivering them to the local charities in December.

‘We plan to distribute the completed hampers to the local charities this week.

‘Usually, my colleague Sharon and myself personally deliver the hampers to each of the charities.

‘The happiness and smiles on people’s faces when receiving the hampers is amazing and quite tearful, as you can imagine.

‘The Charity Christmas Hampers project has grown year on year, and it is something very special and close to all our hearts at this time every year, we are just glad that we can all contribute and make life a little easier and happier during the festive period.’

As well as the hampers, three large toy sacks and 10 gift packs were also given out to children by the company.

Attached to every hamper given away is a card with all of the businesses that donated to the project this year.