Published: 13 November, 2013
by THE NEW JOURNAL NEWSDESK

THE cafés want to sell you coffee in cups with Christmas trees on the side. Sandwich shops are selling rolls with turkey and cranberry sauce.

And you won’t have missed the telly adverts from the supermarkets and department stores. It may be only halfway through November, but they are sure it’s Christmas already.

Well, that might be very exciting for some, but for others the very mention of the C-word fills their day with anxiety.

These might be the elderly living on their own and with nobody to visit them, while everybody else is out celebrating with loved ones. Or the single-parent families wondering how they are going to afford presents for the little ones.

It’s for these people that the New Journal has for more than 30 years organised an appeal to show that people do care.

We raise money from generous donations – and by generous we mean anything from a penny upwards – to pay for Christmas hampers to be delivered to those most in need.

It’s not a five-course Christmas dinner or a new BMX for the children – but it does show that we, together as a borough, young and old, care about all parts of our community.

We will be delivering the hampers – with the help of Santa Claus – in the week before Christmas. Also, if you have any fundraising ideas, please get in touch.

We will make sure you get the coverage you deserve in the newspaper!