Funeral director’s charity drive ‘overwhelmed’ with donations

Janette Macleod, a funeral director from Leicestershire, has been “overwhelmed” with donations for her annual drive to support the homeless community, despite lockdown restrictions resulting from the pandemic.

The community in Oadby and Wigston has helped support its local funeral director, who is set to deliver 100 bags of provisions for homeless, former-military personnel and other homeless people across Leicestershire in the run-up to Christmas.

Having supported Coalville-based charity Once, We Were Soldiers over the last five years, MacLeod has given back to Leicestershire’s homeless veterans while working at Co-operative Funeralcare’s homes in Wigston.

Macleod said: “When I first began my collections, it started off as a Christmas Shoe Box appeal. Over the years, it has progressed much, much further to actually producing up to and sometimes over 100 individual bags to take to the streets of Leicester, and also hampers to provide for the veterans in sheltered accommodation.

“It is something I am incredibly passionate about – it breaks my heart to see people having to live on the streets so I am determined to do what I can to support. We provide in each bag, a set of toiletries which are completely essential to a person’s needs.”

She added: “Also dried, usable, food goods, sleeping bags, dog food, confectionery and any other essentials like warm hats, scarves and gloves.

“Each year we have more and more donations, and everything that we can’t use, goes to another charity called ‘Open Hands’ which is a charity that my parents support and are involved with – they are a compassion centre for the under-privileged.”