Staff and contractors at the Petroplus Coryton Refinery got into the true Christmas spirit this week.
On Monday (19 December) staff from Thurrock Council’s children’s social care went to the refinery to pick up around 250 presents donated by staff and contractors.
For the last eight years the refinery has run a virtual Santa programme where social services staff supply a list of the toys and gifts the children they work with would like to receive for Christmas. The details are loaded onto the refinery’s intranet site and employees and contractors remove from the list the gift they would like to buy.
Jon Barden, Refinery Manager said: “Our Virtual Santa programme has become an important part of our Community Programme and I am always proud of the generosity of our employees and the contractor personnel – we are absolutely delighted to continue what has now become an annual tradition at the refinery.”
Cllr Barbara Rice, the council’s portfolio holder for Children’s Social Care and Health said: “On behalf of the social care team I would like to thank everyone at Petroplus for their continued generosity.
“Many of the children we work with are facing difficult times and this helps ensure they will have a memorable and happy Christmas.
“This generosity and commitment over the years, buying wonderful gifts for children that may receive very little or none at all sums up the real spirit of Christmas.”
Council staff will be delivering the gifts before the Big Day and Cllr Rice added: “Social workers have an incredibly difficult job and seeing the children’s faces light up with joy when they get the chance to play Santa gives them a tremendous boost too.”
