THURROCK Council's annual Christmas campaign to help local children in need has opened today (Friday, 20 November).

Now in its fifth year, the Give a Gift campaign gives residents the opportunity to donate a present to a local child in need for whom Christmas can be a difficult time of year.

This year, due to government COVID-19 guidance, unfortunately there will not be a store at Lakeside Shopping Centre as in previous years. Instead, Give a Gift will be run online to ensure the safety of our residents and council staff.

From Friday 20 November through to midnight Sunday 13 December you can donate a gift online through an Amazon Wish List where you will be able to buy a pre-selected gift or gift card or through a GoFundMe page where you will be able to donate money for a gift or gift card to be bought on your behalf.

All the money and gifts donated will be used exclusively for Give a Gift presents which will be delivered directly to children and young people in need in Thurrock.

Cllr James Halden, Cabinet Member for Children's Services and Adult Social Care, said: "Give a Gift has always seen overwhelming support from the residents and businesses of Thurrock. I know that over the next 24 days of Give a Gift it will be no different. Thurrock will come together to achieve our aim of making Christmas a happier time for more than 2,000 children.

"We have worked hard to make sure that Give a Gift can go ahead, but due to COVID-19 it has to be in a different online format rather than in-person this year. While I know this will be disappointing for those used to the excitement and bustle of our shop and star covered tree, I really hope that people embrace and support Give a Gift just as much as in every other year.

"This year has been incredibly tough on so many families and children in Thurrock, and the global pandemic is something none of us could have predicted. We need our community to support Give a Gift more than ever – every donation and present, of any size or amount, will help to ensure that every child can enjoy the magic of Christmas."

For more details on how to buy a gift online or donate or to download a 'Thank You Star' for your own tree, click here.