Gifts of Love

By Chris Armagon

Image courtesy of Gifts of Love 

Enjoying the last of the year’s autumn sunshine, a small but intrepid group of fundraisers recently embarked on a city walk in Hackney for a good cause.  

The cause is Gifts of Love, an up-and-coming charity that provides much needed essential hygiene products for teens and young people.  

In 2024, cofounders Monica Ande and Patsy Small noticed a growing need for essential items for young people from impoverished families.

Ande, who has a background in education, noticed a worrying dip in the self-esteem and confidence of the students that she worked with. Stemming from an inability to afford bathroom essentials that many take for granted; some young people suffer from poor self-image, leading to lower educational expectations and, sadly, bullying.

“Year on year we’re seeing an increase” in the number of young people who cannot afford basic items, Ande said. She added that one in ten children avoid school because they feel ashamed of their inability to afford toiletries.  

Effects of poverty

According to localgov.co.uk, hygiene poverty effects over one million children and teens, and 10% of these report avoiding school out of shame or embarrassment for “hygiene related reasons”. 

Ande’s determination to help remedy this situation is inspirational and tempered by her intuition to be discreet when dealing with young people. Which is a good thing, since Gifts of Love has helped over 500 young people in the last two years.  

Volunteer fundraisers smiling along the River Lea. Image by Chris Armagon 

Legacy 

 As the walkers gathered, the first thing that is apparent is an abundance of good will and enthusiasm. All are welcomed with warm smiles and generous handshakes. It transpires that such warmth of spirit is entirely emblematic of the group’s ethos and aims. It is an enthusiasm and generosity that is woven into the charity’s nature and history. 

Cofounder Patsy Small sadly passed away in 2025. Something of a local charity legend, she began helping people in 2003 by “supporting more than 10,000 families” with “care, compassion, and understanding”, according to the charity’s website. 

Patsy’s husband, 61-year-old Keith Small, continues her work alongside their daughter, Morgan. He explains that it is an effort to get enough gift bags out to inner London schools, but manages to produce up to 150 bags per month if enough donations come in.

A boy’s bag costs £4.50 and contains deodorant, hand sanitiser, shower gel and toothbrush. A girl’s bag costs one pound more due to the inclusion of sanitary products. It is plain to see that with the charity being able to produce such a full gift for relatively little money, even a small donation can go a long way.  

As the walk progresses along the River Lea, Patsy’s legacy begins to shine through. As the event draws to a close and the happy bunch return to the starting point it is Keith that perhaps sums up Patsy’s legacy and Monica’s work the best: “Legacy is not about money, it’s about love.”  

To donate to Gifts of Love go to: https://www.giftsofloveforyoungpeoplecic.co.uk/donations-1 

Picture courtesy of Gifts of Love