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NHS Charity's Decade-Long Christmas Giving Tree Brightens Families' Holidays
16 Nov
Summary
- NHS charity's Christmas Giving Tree project started in 2015
- Inspired by a 5-year-old girl in torn trainers and without a winter coat
- Initiative has grown and attracted huge support over the years
In 2015, the North West Anglia Hospitals' Charity launched its Christmas Giving Tree project, which has now been running for a decade. The initiative was conceived by Natalie Styles-Hudson, the site manager at Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon, who was moved to act after seeing a five-year-old girl in torn trainers and without a winter coat.
"I saw true poverty that day. I knew I had to do something, and that is when the Giving Tree began," Ms Styles-Hudson recalled. Over the past 10 years, the project has grown significantly, providing thousands of gifts to families in need across the NHS trust's hospitals in Peterborough, Stamford in Lincolnshire, and Huntingdon.
The charity says the Giving Tree initiative has attracted huge support from the local community over the years. As of November 2025, the project continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those facing hardship during the holiday season.
