Goldthorpe children supported with gifts thanks to The Salvation Army
Almost 100 families across Goldthorpe had presents to open this Christmas thanks to Goldthorpe Salvation Army’s gift tree campaign.
The church and charity set up festive trees containing gift tags with children’s present requests so that members of the community could make a more personalised donation.
It was part of The Salvation Army’s Christmas Present Appeal which asks people to donate new toys and gifts for children whose families are already making impossible choices between food, heating, and bills.
Goldthorpe Salvation Army church leader Territorial Envoy Alison Sykes said: “What an amazing Christmas appeal we had this year. The gift tree idea really took off and we found we were having to restock the tags regularly due to both people being extremely kind and families reaching out me for help.
“Kids were requesting simple things like pyjamas, socks, dressing gowns, as well as toys, which just shows how much need there was.
“We were able to give gift bags to 90 families. Thanks to some generous donations, each family also received food and the ingredients to make a Christmas dinner if they wished to.
“Our Christmas Present Appeal is an opportunity for people in our community to embrace the spirit of Christmas and give to families and individuals who have very little. We have an amazing supportive community so thank you to everyone who donated, to Goldthorpe Library, Goldthorpe Pentecostal church and Furlong Road Methodist Church who hosted the trees, and of course to our wonderful volunteers who helped sort the presents.”
Families and agencies, such as social services, schools and health workers were invited to the hall in Straight Lane to collect gifts.
Alison continued: “It was lovely to be able to give families choices when it came to selecting gifts for their children. There was a lovely atmosphere, we had a hot chocolate station and many fruitful conversations with families and those helping support families across the area.”
Goldthorpe Salvation Army offers support and activities for the community throughout the week, For more information visit https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/goldthorpe