AN EXTRA donation to The Gate Foodbank could help make this Christmas special for children across the county.

An appeal is being made for advent calendars, selection boxes and little tubes of sweets to brighten the festive season for youngsters.

The foodbank, which will work with partner agencies to give out the items, hopes to ease the burden December can often bring.

Adrienne Hilton, foodbank coordinator, said of the appeal: "I think it's taking pressure away from the parents to provide simple things, because we can help with those, and it's quite often the small things that make a difference.

"A child receiving a selection box, an advent calendar, a little tube of sweets when they don't normally get something like that given to them.

"Or, you'll get people that haven't got contact with children; elderly people that haven't got young children within a family, then they feel as if they're able to contribute something that will get directly to a child.

"It's the simple things that families miss.

"If they can't afford to provide an advent calendar and being given one, it's the smile on the face of the child."

Local organisations and offices can do their bit by setting-up collection points and there will be one at the Advertiser office on Drysdale Street.

The plan is to have the calendars distributed in the last two weeks of November, with the likes of selection boxes going out in December.

Individuals can also continue to drop items into existing points at Asda, Morrisons and Tesco.

Adrienne said: "I'm approaching local businesses and shops and asking them to take either a Christmas collection box or a Christmas collection bag.

"And the aim is to get in as many of those extra items as we can in time, so that we can distribute them to the local children."

The crisis foodbank, run by The Gate Charity, supplied a total of 51,846 meals to people in September through 145 parcels.

Of the 277 individuals it helped during the month, 38 per cent of those were children.

The Christmas period is always a busy time for the foodbank, which wants to ensure no-one misses out, and it continues with its regular service.

It is also welcoming extra festive donations that can go into packages – little luxuries like mince pies, chocolate biscuits, biscuits for cheese and Christmas cake.

Or community groups and people in Clacks are welcome to show support through a reverse advent calendar.

They can club together and instead of receiving something in December, take in an item needed by the foodbank.

By the end of the month, or into January, have a collection ready to donate.

For a list of the general items the foodbank needs please email adrienne@the-gate-charity.org

For organisations that would like a collection box for festive sweets, phone 01259 218766.