The Giving Tree is Connect Reading’s community‑driven Secret Santa campaign, matching chosen gifts from local businesses and the public with people in need through our charity partners, ensuring everyone receives the specific Christmas gift they wished for.

For businesses, it’s a chance to get your team involved, support a local charity and give gifts that you know have been specifically requested.

For charities and schools, it’s an opportunity to submit gift requests for the people you support and help them receive a Christmas gift they’ve been hoping for.

Want to know more?

If you’re a business, charity or school interested in finding out more about The Giving Tree, get in touch with us.

Want to support The Giving Tree?

Every donation helps us make the campaign possible and reach more people this Christmas.

How The Giving Tree works

The Giving Tree is Reading’s original Secret Santa scheme. Our local member charities ask those they support what gift they’d like for Christmas (up to £15). We then ensure that very gift reaches them for Christmas! Member businesses and our public appeal hosted by the Oracle Shopping Centre enable YOU to become a Secret Santa for a local person in need. Here’s how it works…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Giving Tree 2025…

The Giving Tree 2025 was a record breaking campaign – raising gifts and funds worth over £40,000. Thank you to everyone who supported or got involved, you made sure Reading’s most vulnerable residents received the gift they wished for at Christmas time.

• 24 local charities, 9 local schools, and the local university received bespoke gifts for their beneficiaries
• 32 locally based businesses took part, directly matched with charities resonating with their ESG, or volunteering to write tags, sort donations and deliver gifts.
• 2,611 gifts worth over £40,000 were donated for local people in need

Ready to get involved?

Whether you’re a business looking to involve your team or a charity or school with people you’d like to put forward, we’d love to hear from you.