Watch: Kindness of Daventry district residents, businesses and schools overwhelms Christmas scheme to help victims of domestic abuse

Hundreds of food items, toiletries, toys and treats were donated to the Comfort and Joy scheme by local residents, schools and businesses.

They were sorted into parcels and wrapped before being distributed to people who are spending Christmas in a refuge as a result of experiencing domestic abuse.

The scheme is run by the Daventry District and South Northamptonshire Community Safety Partnership and the Daventry and District Forum.

The parcels were taken to refuges in Daventry district and the wider Northamptonshire area by volunteers from the domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid.

Lindsay Checkley, community projects officer for the partnership, said: “This is the second year we’ve run this campaign and we’ve had another brilliant response.

“Many people who are escaping domestic abuse have to flee their homes very quickly and may not be able to take much with them.

“The idea of the Comfort and Joy campaign is to provide those people with some basic essentials, but also to give them a few gifts and treats to hopefully make things a little easier for them over Christmas. On behalf of the partnership I’d like to thank everyone who donated to this campaign – you’ve helped to make a huge difference to people in need this Christmas.”

Ann Bodsworth, of Northampton Women’s Aid, said: “These gifts will be greatly appreciated by the families using our service and the support and consideration of everyone involved is greatly valued. Thank you to members of the public who donated items, the volunteers who helped to wrap and deliver those donations and all the people from the organisations involved. You have all put the ‘Merry’ in Merry Christmas and we are extremely grateful.”