"No one should go without, especially over Christmas. In a challenging year, its vital to give back and support those in our community who need it most."
Ayesha Rees, CEO of UVA UK
An app-based ride hailing business is spreading some much-needed Christmas cheer for those who need it most after donating £250 worth of toys and goodies ahead of the festive season to Little Village.
UVA UK is set to launch its new app-based ride hailing service in Wandsworth in early 2021 and has committed to lending a helping hand to local charities and community groups across the areas it operates. As part of these plans, the company has pledged to donate 3% of its overall profits to charities in the UK. The delivery of the Christmas presents to Little Village marks the start of its long-term charitable commitments.
The charity has received packages stuffed with Christmas presents from UVA, which includes toys, chocolates and clothes. Each set will also include an age-appropriate book to support the newly launched Marcus Rashford Book Club, which aims to give children from disadvantaged backgrounds the chance to embrace reading from a young age.
The curated packs, which have been tailored by gender and age range, will be gifted to children and families in the area who need them most. Little Village is like a foodbank, but for clothes, toys and equipment for babies and children up to the age of five. The families it helps are facing a range of challenges – homelessness, unemployment, low wages and domestic violence. It has supported around 6,000 children in 2020, doubling its support compared to 2019.
Alongside the toy donation, UVA UK has also presented £250 to Wandsworth Foodbank to ensure no family goes hungry and can enjoy a hearty Christmas dinner together during the festive period.
Ayesha Rees, CEO of UVA UK, said: “No one should go without, especially over Christmas. In a challenging year, it’s vital to give back and support those in our community who need it most. We hope that the donations make the festive period a little brighter for families across Wandsworth.
“As a start up business, we knew from the beginning that charity and community would be put at the heart of our operations. Working with organisations such as Little Village and the The Trussell Trust, who are all doing amazing work for families across the region, marks the start of a long term commitment at UVA UK of giving back to our society and creating a positive impact in our communities.”
Rebecca Wilson, Head of Programmes at Little Village said: “We are very grateful to UVA UK for their generous donation of gifts. We know how important items such as books are for a child’s wellbeing and development and we really appreciate the time UVA have taken to put these donations together.”
