We’ve had plenty of news to bring you from Preston over the past week.

Beech’s Fine Chocolate are celebrating their 100th year, Lancashire FA u-turned on their decision to cancel grass roots football until the new year and Plau bar in Friargate has been made a Grade II listed building.

Below are five of the stories you might have missed.

Fulwood Academy offer NHS staff free parking over the Christmas holidays

Secondary school Fulwood Academy in Preston are offering free parking to NHS staff over their Christmas holiday.

NHS staff can use the car park at the Black Bull Lane school in Fulwood between 18 December at 12:30pm and 3 January.

This is to thank the NHS for all the hard work they have done and continue to do during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Read the full story here.

Sale of Christmas hampers helping families in need

The Larder is selling festive hampers full of local and ethical products to help fund its Christmas Kids in the Kitchen programme.

Kids in the Kitchen addresses the issue of holiday hunger and is open to families with children who are eligible for free school meals.

Those who sign up receive five days of local ingredients, recipes and videos so they can create tasty and nutritious meals from scratch.

Read the full story here.

Mask wearing staff at Preston and Chorley hospitals encouraged to wear photo-ID badges to put patients at ease

Mask-wearing staff at​ hospitals in Preston and Chorley are being encouraged to wear photo-ID badges.

This is to help staff form strong bonds with their patients, so patients can see what they look like behind the mask.

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals has adopted the #AndILookLikeThis initiative to help break down the barrier that can be created by the use of masks.

Read the full story here.

Kind-hearted gran creates popular milk bottle top Christmas trees to raise funds for Rosemere Cancer Foundation

At the start of lockdown, kind-hearted Barton gran Sandra Coulson asked family and friends to collect plastic milk bottle tops and leave them on her doorstep.

A keen sewer, Sandra padded each bottle top with wadding.

Then, she covered the tops in differently patterned festive cloth before stitching 26 of them together at a time to make hanging Christmas tree decorations which she trimmed with stars and bows to finish.

Over the last nine months, Sandra has transformed more than 600 milk bottle tops to create 24 trees, which she has sold for £10 each to raise £250 for Rosemere Cancer Foundation.

Read the full story here.

Derian House charity shop has opened in Preston City Centre

Preston shoppers can now grab a bargain in time for Christmas after a new Derian House charity shop opened in Preston city centre.

The ribbon was cut by Leo Cliffe, one of the young people cared for by the children’s charity.

The store is bright and airy and focuses on high quality pre-loved furniture, designer clothing, vintage jewellery and handbags.

Read the full story here.

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