Leah Rhodes from AJ Bretherton, Sian Smith from Boots Blackburn, Georgia Fogarty from LCRIG along with Carmel Foster-Devine, Head of Highways, Transport and Networks at the council, Council Leader Phil Riley and Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education Councillor Julie Gunn
Published Monday 8 December 2025 at 16:50
In conjunction with the council’s highways team, the Local Council Roads Innovation Group and key council contractors have donated £3,050 to buy the borough’s care leavers a gift this Christmas.
Today, Monday 8 December, 189 gift bags were provided to the council’s Children, Education and Young People’s department, to give out to every single person between the ages of 18 and 21 who has spent time in foster or residential care in the borough. For many of the care leavers, this will be the only present they receive this year.
This is the sixth year that the Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG) have offered to donate and co-ordinate the gifts. Donations were also provided by A.J Bretherton Groundworks and Plant Hire, Multevo and Tensar.
Georgia Fogarty, LCRIG with Ben Hughes and Aimee Dewse from Multevo
The team at Boots in Blackburn, headed by Manager Sian Smith assisted with ordering the gifts for 119 males and 70 females.
Councillor Quesir Mahmood, Executive Member for Growth and Development said:
In highways, we work with some excellent contractors who put a lot of focus on giving back to the community. We can’t be more grateful for their support in ensuring our care leavers get a gift this year.
Thank you to the LCRIG team who take so much time and care into buying, wrapping and creating the gift bags.
Councillor Julie Gunn, Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education said:
One of our missions as a council is to ensure that no-one is left behind.
Our care leavers have lived through challenging circumstances at a young age and receiving a Christmas gift is something that will hopefully make them smile.
Thank you to everyone involved in this fantastic initiative.
Susanne Ingham, Relationship Director at the Local Council Roads Innovation Group said:
LCRIG is so proud to support this fantastic initiative again this year and provide presents for young people leaving care.
A huge thank you to the companies that generously donated towards the gifts, to Georgia for putting together the gifts, and to the team at Boots for their support.
The gift bags, which were thoughtfully assembled by Susanne’s daughter, Georgia Fogarty, will be hand delivered to every care leaver by the council’s, regardless of whether they have moved out of the borough, or not.