Southend Foodbank is gearing up for the busy festive season with the launch of their Reverse Advent Calendar campaign. The campaign, which aims to encourage donations in the lead up to Christmas, is a collaborative effort from the organization’s staff, volunteers, and their families.
Starting on December 1st, Southend Foodbank will release a short video on their social media channels every day for 24 days. Each video will highlight an item on the Reverse Advent Calendar, which lists essential items that the organization needs for their food bank.
The idea for the campaign was sparked by the Foodbank’s Comms & Campaigns Coordinator, Cass Francis. With the help of volunteers and recent university graduate Henry Goodchild, a life-size Advent calendar door and backdrop were hand-built and filmed for the videos.
Cass Francis shared, “It’s a combination of a calendar and a cuckoo clock! We had such fun filming it, with all sorts of volunteers adding their own flourish to every day on the calendar. We’ve got downloadable versions of the calendar on our website too, so people can print off a version and tick off the items as they collect them.”
The Foodbank recognizes that this winter will be particularly challenging for both the organization and their guests. They are grateful for all the support they receive from donations of food, money, and time.
The Reverse Advent Calendar campaign has also received support from special guests, including former Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips. For more information and to download a version of the calendar, follow Southend Foodbank on social media or visit their website at southend.foodbank.org.uk/christmas-2025.