GENEROUS givers in the borough have, for nearly a month now, been contributing to an annual Giving Tree scheme organised by Gill Mckernan.
Her campaign enables shoppers and businesses to support disadvantaged youngsters by buying them a present they have requested on a Giving Tree gift tag.
Shoppers have been choosing a tag, buying the gift, and returning it unwrapped to the same tree.
Gill says the final set of tags have now been distributed, and that people wanting to take part may need to grab one of the last remaining children’s wishes quickly, before they disappear.
She said: “Gifts are now coming in thick and fast.
“It’s so lovely to see the care people have gone to in choosing really appropriate gifts for the children.
“And they’ve also often added extras – people have certainly dug deep.”
All the presents are taken to a storage bay where they are wrapped and distributed by participating charities to the children of families they support.
Participating charities this year are:
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 Children’s Charity
Promise Inclusion
Sebastian’s Action Trust
Giving Trees can be found at:
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, Winnersh
Sedero Lounge, Wokingham
Community champion at Tesco Wokingham Louise Jedras, said: “The start of Christmas for me is putting the tags on the Giving Tree.
“I love seeing customers flock to it to see how they can help make Christmas a little bit special for children who might otherwise not have any gifts to open on Christmas Day.
“People’s generosity never fails to amaze me.”
Anyone wishing to buy a gift for a child should make their way to one of the trees and choose a remaining gift tag.
To make sure all the presents are ready for Christmas, gift tags carry a December return-by date, with final gifts needing to be returned by Sunday, December 15, at the latest.
