Come and join The Giving Tree

TAGS are flying off the trees for this year’s Giving Tree appeal.

For more than 17 years, the generous people of Wokingham and the surrounding area have dug deep to make sure less fortunate youngsters stay on Santa’s list – and this year it looks like the event is just as big as ever.

The idea is simple, but it sparkles with the true spirit of the season.

You choose a tag from one of the many Giving Trees across the borough, buy the gift on the tag and return it (unwrapped) to the tree.

Big-hearted volunteers then go to work to get the presents to the local charities benefiting from the appeal and make sure they go to children whose stockings might otherwise have been empty on Christmas morning.

Last year, more than 2,500 tags were collected and hopes are high that Wokingham folk will be even more generous this time around.

Gill Mckernan, from Barnardo’s High Close School, organises the appeal with a team of volunteers, “especially the kind staff at Transform Housing, who sort and store all the gifts for the charities to collect”.

Mrs Mckernan said: ““The Giving Tree appeal is as popular as ever and has got off to another fantastic start.

“Hundrerds of tags have already been taken off the trees by the kind and generous local people.

“The gifts have already started to come back and this means that the charities will have plenty of time to wrap them and get them delivered in time for Christmas.

“Nearly all the venues have had their delivery of tags so please visit one, take a tag and bring a big smile on a child’s face this Christmas.

“Thank you to everyone for their support of The Giving Tree.”

Since last week, two more Giving Trees have been set up: Morrisons in Woosehill and Invesco Perpetual in Henley have tags on their trees … while stocks last!

All shoppers need to do is choose a tag, buy the gift suggested and return it, unwrapped to the place where they collected the tag from.

The children ask for such a variety of gifts, there is always something you can find to buy at all different prices.

If you can buy an extra gift to make someone else’s Christmas, find a tree near you and send it with love.

Picture: Phil Creighton Picture: Phil Creighton We’re ready! Volunteers and charities at the launch of this year’s Giving Tree appeal at Tesco’s Wokingham superstore. The appeal matches presents to children who would otherwise do without at Christmas Gillian Mckernan, Teso store manager Hayley Inwood, Judith and Julian McGhee-Sumner and Tesco’s Sue Lovell at the launch of this year’s Giving Tree