Still time to donate to our Christmas Appeal

Dec 15 2011 by Leona Greenan, Hamilton Advertiser

Still time to donate to our Christmas Appeal

THERE is now only one week left to send in your donations for our annual Christmas Toy Appeal for needy kids.

Larkhall and District Volunteer Group have already uplifted hundreds of new and nearly-new toys from the Advertiser office after they were handed in by generous readers.

And this week collections of toys from the parishioners of two Hamilton churches – St John’s and Cadzow – reached us.

More donations are still needed but they must be handed in by no later than next Thursday.

The toys will be given to underprivileged youngsters in Hamilton and the surrounding area to make their Christmas a little merrier.

Toys are required for children of all age groups and firms and shops can help by providing any left-over stock they may have. Every little helps.

The wonderful gifts will go a long way to ensuring around 500 needy children are given a happy Christmas. A selection box or tube of sweets is just as welcome as a cuddly toy, doll, boxed game, car set, arts and crafts, construction kit, toiletry set or whatever else you could generously donate.

Cash donations, cheques and gift vouchers or gift cards are also greatly appreciated.

The goodies will be passed to our friends at the Larkhall and District Volunteer Group and their army of helpers, who will kindly gift-wrap every item so the children can enjoy tearing open their presents on Christmas Day.

Our other partners in the Toy Appeal, Hamilton Furniture Initiative, are ready to deliver the bags of toys to the homes of children identified by South Lanarkshire Council social work department.

You can hand in your donation to the Advertiser Office, Press Buildings, Campbell Street, Hamilton.

The office is open on weekdays from 9am-5pm.

We also need wrapping paper and AAA and AA batteries for toys.

Those in the Larkhall area can hand toys in to the Volunteer Group’s Raploch Street premises.