Batley Salvation Army’s Christmas Present Appeal supports 300 children

Every year the church and charity collects donations of unwrapped gifts which are distributed to vulnerable children who would otherwise have nothing to open on Christmas Day.

Thanks to the generosity of members of the public and local businesses, including 11-year-old Oscar Sheard from Cleckheaton, who collected 250 presents for the appeal, Batley Salvation Army was able to meet the increased need this year giving presents to 290 children compared to last year when it received referrals for 150 children.

Major Carolyn Wilson, who leads Batley Salvation Army with her husband Major Paul, said: “Thank you to everyone who donated to our Christmas Present Appeal this year, your generosity made such a difference to hundreds families and brought smiles to the faces of so many children who would otherwise have had nothing to open on Christmas Day.

“The sheer volume of referrals we had for our Christmas Present Appeal shows how much people are struggling. The fact we were able to meet the need is thanks to the generosity of people from Batley and the surrounding areas, people like Oscar who really inspired us in his determination to spread hope and joy to people less fortunate than himself.

“We are also very grateful to our brilliant staff members and volunteers who helped to sort the gifts and get them ready to distribute to families. We would not be able to do this without them.”

The Salvation Army worked with local agencies including schools, social services and health visitors to distribute the gifts in the week running up to Christmas.

Batley Salvation Army continues to support the community running a number of activities. For more information search for Batley Salvation Army on Facebook or visit https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/batley.