Thank-you for fab Give a Gift efforts
People of all ages across the Stirling area have been responding to the call to ensure local children and young people facing a difficult Christmas know their community cares.
The Stirling Observer has been gathering in gifts ready for a host of local charities and good causes to collect them next week, ready for Santa to deliver them to the youngsters they support.
Individuals, workplaces and schools have been donating in their droves - including at Balfron Primary School.
Principal teacher Aaron Kirwood said: “The response from parents and children has been great.
“The pupils were very excited to be involved, especially when I told them they are helping to make a different to people’s lives.
“I teach P4/3 and as a class our learning focus for this term has been about helping vulnerable people in our community so being involved in Give A Gift was a also a great opportunity to combine learning and community.”
Observer reporter Kaiya Marjoribanks said: “There was an amazing response from Balfron Primary.
“We are so grateful to them for this magnificent effort. It is particularly heartening to know this has also helped in an educational way and that the already strong community spirit is so well instilled in the younger villagers.”
Generous readers are being asked to get their gifts in to any of our drop off points as soon as possible.
Kaiya added:“We have people from pensioners to children themselves who donate every year and they can all take heart in the knowledge that their gift will brighten up the lives of a child or young person.”
As the appeal has grown over more than a decade, so has the number who benefit each year.
Among the charities and good causes which help to distribute the gifts donated every year to the Stirling Observer Give A Gift Appeal are Stirling Young Carers; HomeStart Stirling which supports families with young children going through difficult times; Stirling Women’s Aid; Stirling Council social services; PLUS, the local organisation which provides social opportunities for children and young people with disabilities; Stirling Interfaith Community Justice Group, which helps families and children at the Family Help Hubs at Cornton Vale and Glenochil; Support4Families, which supports those affected by a relative’s substance abuse including kinship carers; Barnardo’s; KiDS group for children with Down’s Syndrome; and Forth Valley Royal Hospital children’s ward.
Collected at our offices in Upper Craigs and with the support of a host of drop-off points across the area, the gifts aim to ensure no local child goes without on Christmas morning and that those children and their families going through difficult times know their community has them in their thoughts.
The appeal also exists to ease the pressure many of the charities face over the festive season and allow them to put resources they may otherwise have had to use for gifts into their other areas of good work.
Kaiya added: “Any drop off points, schools or business which still need to arrange collection of items can get in touch with us. Donations can also still be dropped off at our offices in the Craigs on Monday and Tuesday.
“A huge thank you to all who support the appeal, from individuals to workplaces and from schools to drop off points. Without them many of these children would be going without on Christmas morning.
“Feedback from the support workers from these amazing charities and good causes leaves us in no doubt how much the donations are needed and appreciated.
“We are privileged to be able to undertake something which allows the public to show their support to these fantastic people for everything they do for others throughout the year.”
For queries please call (01786) 459417 or email kaiya. marjoribanks@reachplc.com or news@stirlingobserver. co.uk.