Forget the 12 days of Christmas – Colwick-based packaging firm The Wilkins Group is rolling out ‘12 months of Christmas’ with an inspired fundraising campaign that symbolises the true spirit of the season.
Each month in 2025, the family run business will be donating much-needed funds to a different Nottinghamshire charity.
To kick-start the year of giving and highlight the charity recipients, the firm has parcelled up an innovative charity calendar and desk tidy that it has sent to its customers as a Christmas gift.
In line with its company values and its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policy, The Wilkins Group said it wanted to support local environmental and conservation charities that were close to home and important to its teams.
Justin Wilkins, joint managing director at The Wilkins Group, said: “We think this is a fabulous idea that not only fulfils the true spirit of Christmas but also keeps that spirit going throughout the year.
“As a company, we especially take our ESG commitment very seriously. We are innovators in environmental packaging and have a love for our home city of Nottingham as well as our staff, many of whom live locally. So, this year we drew all our values into one year-long Christmas gift that we hope our customers will love and that also benefits the city and its inhabitants.”
The calendar box measures 221mm wide by 123mm tall and consists of 14 cards, each beautifully designed, with 12 of those cards dedicated to the individual charities that the firm has chosen to support during 2025. All of these client gifts are cleverly wrapped in a gift box that doubles as a stylish desk tidy.
By scanning a QR Code, recipients of the calendar gift box can find instructions to easily assemble the desk tidy, where the design provides slots for the calendar, a phone, and pens.
Each month, a card is dedicated to one of the 12 charities being supported. The front of each card bears the month’s calendar information and details of how The Wilkins Group will support the chosen charity. The reverse of each page showcases the work of that charity. At the end of each month, the charity featured will receive a donation from the firm to support their good work.
The charities selected are all in close proximity to The Wilkins Group’s Nottingham factory and are small or medium-sized ventures. The giving campaign starts off with Green’s Windmill Trust, based in Sneinton, which supports the area’s landmark windmill and science museum, once home to scientist George Green.
Other Nottinghamshire charities benefiting from the campaign include Papplewick Pumping Station, Stonebridge City Farm, Walesby Forest, Nottinghamshire Beekeepers’ Association, Nottinghamshire
Wildlife Trust, Gedling Conservation Trust, Canalside Heritage Centre and Eco Works, a community garden charity in St Ann’s, Nottingham.
Other charities set to receive recognition and funding as part of the year of giving, include Hedgepigs, which provides medical care or assistance for injured hedgehogs, Bulwell Forest Garden, a community garden project, and Mansfield Wildlife Rescue.
The international Wilkins Group employs over 370 people at its Nottingham headquarters and produces packaging for major global brands and supermarkets. The firm also operates sites in Sri Lanka, China and Bangladesh.
Justin added: “We are proud of our heritage and the growth our company has achieved since my grandfather set it up in the 1960s. Although now an international business, we will always respect our Nottingham beginnings.”
