YOU RAISE £160K TO SAVE XMAS FOR KIDS

Funds buy little ones meals and toys

THOUSANDS of hard-up children have just had a brilliant Christmas – all thanks to big-hearted Sunday Mirror readers who helped raise £161,000 to make them happy.

Your amazing response to our Save A Kid’s Christmas Appeal, on behalf of Save The Children, transformed the festive season for some of the poorest youngsters in the country.

The money raised helped to give them all a hot meal and a toy or an educational pack.

And some will go towards helping little ones who are now struggling to learn at home while their schools are closed because of the pandemic.

Save the Children ambassador Natasha Kaplinsky was full of praise for the generous Sunday Mirror readers. The television presenter and newsreader said: “For families up and down the UK, last year was a year like no other.

“Millions of households were driven into debt through no fault of their own. “Parents faced the nightmare of struggling to afford basic meals, let alone being able to buy Christmas presents to put under the tree.

“However, thanks to bighearted Sunday Mirror readers, we managed to raise more than £160,000 to help the hardest-hit families and provide some Christmas cheer in what

are incredibly difficult circumstances for all of us.

“After an unimaginably tough year, it’s been incredible to see so many people digging deep to give children a brighter future.”

Your kind-heartedness and generosity has never been more appreciated, as there are currently 4 million kids living in poverty in Britain.

And – as we revealed when we launched the campaign in November – that shocking number is set to rise to 5.2 million by 2022.

The total raised included donations from young people’s charity the JD Foundation and healthcare company GlaxoSmithKline, as well as the staff of the Sunday Mirror and others who work for our publisher

Reach plc. And the money raised will carry on helping kids in dire need.

Dan Paskins, Save the Children’s Director of UK Impact, said: “The money raised by this fantastic appeal is going to make a big difference to children’s lives.

“Thanks to the incredible generosity of Sunday Mirror readers we will be able to help support the country’s most vulnerable children, providing them with food so they don’t go hungry, books to keep them learning and a warm home this winter.

“It’s been a tough time for everyone – which makes the huge amount of donations even more special.

“We can’t thank Sunday Mirror readers enough.”

It’s been incredible to see so many dig deep

NATASHA KAPLINSKY FOR SAVE THE CHILDREN