WITH Giving Trees now appearing in and around Wokingham, generous shoppers will soon be able to put a smile on a child’s face this Christmas.
By taking a tag from a Giving Tree, and buying a gift, they will be able to give a Christmas present to a youngster who might otherwise not receive one.
The annual Giving Tree initiative helps to make sure that no child in the borough goes without a present on Christmas Day.
An official launch took place at Wokingham Library, attended by representatives of charities, businesses, library staff, Wokingham Borough Council Deputy Mayor Cllr Carol Jewell, and Wokingham Town Mayor Cllr Rob Comber.
But the assembled adults were pipped to the post by young library visitor Paige, who managed to collect this year’s first gift tag.
Each year generous shoppers in the borough take part in the campaign, organised by Gill Mckernan.
Giving Trees in the borough are decorated with gift tags, for shoppers to choose and buy the toy or voucher requested on it.
Gifts are then returned, unwrapped, to the same tree, to be distributed to children through participating charities.
Gill Mckernan said: “It’s a privilege to be launching the Giving Tree Appeal once again this year, especially with so many families finding themselves in difficult circumstances because of the current economic climate.
“My hope is that no child should have to dread Christmas, or feel like they’re being left out,” she said.
“This campaign is a very small step to help them to enjoy the day a little more, and to know that there’s somebody else thinking about them.”
Toys will be distributed this year through the following charities: Transform Housing and Support Wokingham, Home-Start Wokingham District, Dingley’s Promise, Kaleidoscopic UK, Berkshire Women’s Aid, Berkshire Vision, Barnardo’s, The Cow Shed, First Days, Promise Inclusion, and Sebastians Action Trust.
Businesses supporting the appeal are: Simply Commerce in Wokingham; Reading companies PriceWaterHouseCoopers, BDO, and Guardian Financial Services; Fidelius Mortgages, Airlife in Basingstoke, Artizian Catering Services based in Hurst, and Ariat from Oxfordshire.
Gill thanks First Days Charity for offering to be the gift collection point for all the charities, PWC for printing tags and posters for the campaign, and Wokingham Library for hosting the launch.
Giving Trees can be found in the following locations: Tesco Wokingham ( tags for requests for gift cards only), Tesco Warfield, Tesco Martins Heron, Wokingham Library, Newbury Building Society Wokingham, Wokingham Borough Council Offices, Nirvana Spa in Winnersh, and Sedero Lounge in Wokingham.
