All about Gatehouse, in Dettingen Way, Bury St Edmunds, which is helping to bring festive cheer to those in need this Christmas

A Bury St Edmunds charity which has been supporting vulnerable people for nearly 40 years needs your help to bring the festive cheer to those in need.

Gatehouse, based in Dettingen Way, has teamed up with the Bury Free Press again this year for its Christmas appeal to help those struggling financially this festive period.

The charity was formed in 1986 by Sister Helena, a Roman Catholic nun who was working with vulnerable single mothers and their children in the west of Suffolk. Its name stems from Sister Helena being based in the Gatehouse of St Louis School.

Amanda Bloomfield, Gatehouse CEO, said: “We are a registered charity that for nearly 40 years has been supporting vulnerable people in our community.

“We help people who are socially or financially disadvantaged due to low income, disability, illness, age or loneliness.

“Our work in practice is largely focused on Bury St Edmunds and surrounding villages, and is not confined to one age group or defined set of service users.”

Amanda added the charity is fortunate that, for a number of years, it has owned its Dettingen Way premises.

It runs four main services, including this Christmas appeal. There is the Food Bank, which provides around 750 emergency food parcels and vouchers annually to those who would otherwise go without; The Home Store, which is primarily a furnishing service for disadvantaged individuals and families and Community Wellbeing, which offers activities focused on people’s mental and physical health needs.

In 2023/24, The Home Store handled 11,000 transactions, and recycled nearly 13,000 items which would otherwise have gone to landfill.

It also runs a ‘social supermarket’ where people can buy essential food items at reduced prices. Gatehouse’s Community Wellbeing service also offers health checks, HEP C testing and Covid vaccinations for the homeless.

Amanda said, like many charities, Gatehouse has seen a year-on-year increase in demand for its services, and thus it needs your help to continue its life-changing work.

She said: “We are dependent on, and extremely grateful for the help and support we receive from individuals, organisations and local business but often it remains very difficult to meet demand.”

To help Gatehouse this Christmas, you can donate the items listed in the sidebar next to this to the Bury Free Press office, in King’s Road, or the charity’s Dettingen Way base.