At what point does Christmas begin? Each year it seems that the lead up to it gets earlier and earlier, no sooner has the Halloween paraphernalia been whipped off the shelves that you find Christmas lights and nodding reindeers being set up.
Now I’m no Grinch when it comes to Christmas, I love everything about it. Heck! I have been known to wait for the first Christmas adverts on TV. Watching with the same sense of excitement as the night of the Oscars. Let’s face it, they may well be Hollywood productions, as these ads cost millions of pounds to produce.
Without being too gushing, my favourite Christmas ad this year is not bouncing foxes and badgers or Mrs Claus sorting out Christmas, but the wonderful sentiment behind the Sainsbury’s ad. Dave the man struggling to meet his demands at work and always getting home too late to see his kids before bedtime. He decides to clone himself to help him be in several places at once.
He sings “I want to find the greatest gift I can give to my family/The greatest gift I can give is me!”
Actually Dave, I think the greatest gift might be time.
As I reflected on what is important, not just personally but as a culture. I realise that 2016 has been a ‘crazy’ year on so many levels it seems the whole world has tipped over.
Christmas and community
Fortunately at M R Ratcliffe Consultants our brand and ethos is centred on excellent customer service through honesty, integrity and personal contact. If we are to become better people and good corporate citizens then trust will be a key issue. Society demands it and customers want it transparency is essential.
We need to be more mindful of the communities around us, the business world has an obligation to make a positive contribution. There is a growing desire to do more than just consume this year.
Our business has been built within the transport haulage sector, we’ve expanded and set up a wholesale division. At every stage we’ve endeavoured to act responsibly and provide products and services that meet our customers’ needs.
We are especially proud of the commitment and passion our staff have shown. It’s more than HGV’s, truck insurance or fleet claims
We’ve been building bridges and connecting the corporate with the Spirit of Christmas for past 40 years. Our Chairman has founded 4 charities that work both locally and internationally to improve the wellbeing and lives of many people around the world. It’s part of our company culture. So this year we are really pleased to be working with a number of local organisations.
The opportunity of belting out ‘Hark the Herald’ in public will be made possible by Tree of Lights where a decorated and permanently lit Christmas tree will serve as a prominent focus of community events involving local choirs and bands during the run up to Christmas.
The Rotary Club, are looking to raise funds for local charities by inviting people to donate and place labels on the tree remembering someone special or extending good wishes.
A time for giving… and a time for serving
At home, I’m famed for my lack of wrapping skills, so much so that my small child bemoans the fact that she can see what is in the present before tearing into it. I’m hoping my skills improve this year as I join other volunteers in wrapping presents bought by shoppers for Hamper Scamper.
Hamper Scamper is CCP’s (County Community Projects) Christmas Giving Scheme, designed to spread a little cheer to some of the most disadvantaged children, young people, and vulnerable families at Christmas. There are also many lonely young people and adults who simply have nobody to be with at this time of year.
Spending less time consuming and more time serving, is bound to stir the soul. I hope you all have a moment of reflection. After all apart from the love, sharing your precious time with others is probably the next greatest gift of all.