The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
The gift of Fife: Christmas saved
APPEAL: Courier readers ensure presents for needy youngsters
Courier readers have stepped in to ensure disadvantaged children across Fife will have presents to open on Christmas morning.
The Gift of Christmas Appeal Fife feared having to disappoint youngsters as its warehouse remained all but empty with just days to go.
But reports of its plight in The Courier have encouraged kindhearted readers to come forward with gifts and cash donations.
Instead of the van loads of presents it was taking in last year, the appeal was bringing them in by the bag load.
At the eleventh hour, however, volunteers behind the drive have been overwhelmed with a deluge of toys, books and games for youngsters who might otherwise have had little cheer on December 25.
Kate Hope, who launched the campaign last year with fellow mums from Freuchie, said: “We are astounded.
“We’ve had a huge uplift in gifts and a lot of that is down to Courier readers – we’re being told many people have heard about us because of the articles.
“We have also had a lot of cash donations and we are going to use that for the age groups that we are short for.
“We are now pretty confident that we will have an excellent amount of gifts. It feels like it has all come together at last.”
Donations in the last couple of days have included £800 from staff in Fife Council’s finance department and a haul of gifts from Sky customer services workers in Dunfermline.
The appeal, started following the demise of Fife’s Spirit of Christmas project, hopes to distribute gifts to 700 youngsters in need around the kingdom, referred by organisations including Fife Women’s Aid, Barnardo’s and Fife Council social services.
Today is the final day for donations. Information about drop off points and making donations is on the Facebook page – Gift of Christmas Appeal Fife.
Last week it was all doom and gloom as we revealed a well-meaning Fife initiative set up to ensure some of the region’s most disadvantaged youngsters don’t go without this Christmas had failed to elicit the desired response.
Fast-forward a week, however, and we are happy to report a much happier scenario.
Organisers of the Gift of Christmas Appeal Fife have been overwhelmed by donations since our initial story.
Now, just days after warning hundreds of kids faced Christmas morning disappointment, those behind the uplifting initiative are instead gearing up for a busy – but very happy – few days.
And it is not just toys and other goodies that have been pouring in over the last week.
Several cash donations have also been received from local businesses.
Today marks the final opportunity for donations – and at least one sizeable delivery is already booked in.
Given all the bad news it is often our sad duty to report, it is pleasing indeed to be able to reflect on a far happier tale which reinforces the true meaning of Christmas.
A big well done must go to not only the initiative’s organisers, but also every single person to have made a donation.
It all goes to prove what we already knew – our readers really are the best in the business.