Dunelm hosts Delivering Joy event

Dunelm Exeter recently hosted a heart-warming festive evening at its Pausa Café, inviting local charity partners from their ‘Delivering Joy’ initiative to celebrate the season and express gratitude for their dedication to the community. 

The exclusive event featured a performance by a local choir, who delighted attendees with favourite Christmas carols, creating a cosy and festive atmosphere. Guests were also treated to an exclusive preview of Dunelm’s newly launched Pausa Café Christmas menu, with standout dishes like the Festive Feast Panini, Brie & Cranberry Topped Toastie, and the highly praised Black Forest Roulade. 

Dunelm, known as ‘The Home of Homes’, has made it a mission to ensure no one goes without a gift this holiday season through its nationwide ‘Delivering Joy’ initiative. Now in its fifth year, the campaign works with local charities, schools, care homes, and refuges to gather gift requests, which are displayed on special trees in every store.

Customers can pick up a tag from the tree, purchase the requested gift from any retailer, and return it to the store, where Dunelm ensures it reaches its recipient before Christmas.  

Since its inception, the ‘Delivering Joy’ campaign has fulfilled nearly a quarter of a million gift requests, with a focus on spreading festive cheer and helping those most in need. This year, Dunelm colleagues have noticed that many requests centre around winter essentials and small comforts, such as hats, scarves, toiletries, and selection boxes, reflecting the ongoing impact of the cost-of-living crisis. 

Kelly Nichols, a colleague from Dunelm’s St Helen’s store, shared the heart-warming impact of the campaign: “Last year, our St Helen’s store alone delivered over 8,000 bags of Joy, and I'm really excited to be in the midst of it again this year. To feel the community spirit and see the happiness on people's faces when we deliver gifts is exactly what the campaign is all about, and I'm proud to be a small part of it.” 

In Exeter, the local ‘Delivering Joy’ efforts have already collected hundreds of gifts, with the evening’s attendees representing the charities that will distribute these presents. 

Paul Sullivan, Head of Circular Communities at Dunelm, said, “We were so happy to embrace the season of giving back by hosting the incredible charities and organisations involved in our Delivering Joy initiative. It’s a privilege to host them for a festive evening in our Pausa Cafés and to show our appreciation for the valuable work they do in the community."   

This special evening was a perfect reminder of the joy that comes from giving back and coming together as a community.