All year round, our franchise offices play a key part in their communities, getting involved in charity work and supporting local causes. For many of them, Christmas is a highlight of their charitable activities, undertaking a gift-giving campaign that makes the world of difference to older people in the community.
‘Be A Santa’ is one of our longest running campaigns, launched in 2012. It sees teams from our franchise offices collect presents for older people who might not otherwise receive a gift over Christmas. Some invite people to drop off presents at their office, while others collect presents at a Home Instead branded stand in a shop. One office hosts an annual Santa’s grotto: a great way to get children involved and donate a present.
Christmas 2024 was a resounding success for Be A Santa. Over the years, our franchise network has received thousands of gifts as part of the campaign, each of which have brightened up an older person’s Christmas.
As the number one home care company which prides itself on quality care, we’re keen for our franchise offices to be a key part of their community. That means supporting local people who need support, whether they are a client or not.
We want to increase the world’s capacity to care. Christmas is a key time for our franchise offices to spread the word about what they can offer and make staying at home a reality for ageing adults.
Be A Santa is a campaign adopted by many of our home care franchises across the UK, with the support of National Office. We provide them with the resources, tips and ideas to carry out the campaign. It’s an initiative that encourages the community to get involved, so there’s a big focus on a marketing campaign allowing franchisees to engage with the community, organisations and local media.
We have the UK’s biggest home care franchise network, so it’s no surprise why we see so much peer support amongst our franchisees. That includes sharing advice on what works when it comes to Be A Santa and getting the community to rally together and donate gifts.
For all of our franchise offices, the campaign is how many of them strengthen relationships with local organisations and get them in front of new ones. This ranges from big charities such as Age UK and the Salvation Army, to local church groups and care homes. Our charitable arm, Home Instead Charities, can link franchise offices to grass roots community organisations who can pass the gifts on to worthy recipients. All year round, these relationships with local organisations are beneficial to both parties, recommending the services of one another to the people they support.
Be A Santa drives a great deal of local press interest. From the Knutsford Guardian to Scotland’s Daily Record, many local titles have highlighted the campaign, showing Home Instead to be a compassionate, relationship-led company that can meet the care needs of older people.
Christmas is a time for charity, and our franchise offices are delighted to fly the charity flag in their communities, encouraging people to donate and make a difference over the festivities.