Bluewater has named Kent-based charity, ellenor, as its Charity of the Year, from now until December 2026.
The Charity of the Year initiative gives local causes the opportunity to receive extra support and donations throughout the year, with Bluewater’s team members selecting a new organisation each year. Donations made through guest experience initiatives such as the gift-wrapping events at Christmas will be shared with ellenor, with Bluewater also pledging £5,000 to kick start the partnership.
The charity will also have use of the community space during the peak month of December, with opportunities for the Bluewater team members to volunteer to raise money for the cause.
ellenor, a much-loved local hospice charity, provides specialist palliative care to adults and children living with life-limiting illnesses across Dartford, Gravesham, Swanley and Bexley. From diagnosis onwards, its services include an inpatient ward, hospice-at-home care, and extensive wellbeing support for adults, as well as clinical nursing and respite care for children at home.
Bluewater’s announcement of ellenor as its Charity of the Year coincides with its role as official partner and sponsor of ellenor’s We’re Going on a Bear Hunt Art Trail, set to take place across Dartford in summer 2026. Bluewater will host 20 bears on-site, encouraging guests to explore both the shopping centre’s interior spaces and its 50 acres of award-winning parkland.
James Waugh, centre director at Bluewater, commented: “ellenor is a charity that holds a special place in our hearts, having provided invaluable support to members of the Bluewater team and their families over the years. We’re proud to be giving back to them by naming them our Charity of the Year.
“The timing couldn’t be better, with ellenor also announcing our sponsorship of the Bear Hunt themed art trail next summer, with 20 bears set to be hidden throughout the centre. We look forward to sharing more information about the centre’s plans for the initiative in due course.”
Jemma Kemp, corporate partnerships manager at ellenor, added: “We are thrilled to be named Bluewater’s Charity of the Year. This partnership is a unique opportunity to collaborate for the benefit of our community by raising vital awareness and funds to support local families living with life-limiting illnesses. We are incredibly grateful to the Bluewater team for choosing to support us and look forward to working together.”
