Staff and users of a project which helps disadvantaged people in the Great Yarmouth and Waveney area have been ‘overwhelmed’ by the amount of items collected by East Coast Community Healthcare (ECCH).

ECCH has been working in partnership with the petrochemical engineering and fabrication firm Steel Services to support Access Community Trust, which helps vulnerable and homeless people with housing, health, education and employment. They are also collecting for two foodbank schemes – Great Yarmouth and East Suffolk - and ECCH district nurses have been distributing foodbank vouchers to patients in need.

Stuart Jennings, manager of Access Community Trust’s Bridge View Centre in Lowestoft said: “The staff and service users alike were completely overwhelmed by the thoughtful and generous donations we received for the project, with a number of items already distributed to people and families in need.

“These donations have made a massive impact towards this cause and will make a massive difference to our community over the Christmas period and beyond.”

ECCH chief executive Jonathan Williams said: “As a social enterprise our ethos is to benefit our community in all we do, whether it be through our work, by putting our profits into local services or by supporting local charities and organisations.

“We have 900 staff so we felt we could really make a difference if we all got behind this scheme and everyone has been really enthusiastic and generous.”