TWO Thurrock youngsters and their family have been recipients of a Christmas gift from the Bluewater Giving Tree.

Tyler and Anabella Semple from Grays have been helped by the north Kent shopping centre and its partnership with Kent charity Tree of Hope.

Each year, shoppers at Bluewater are able to select a tag from the Giving Tree Christmas Tree which has the name and age of the child, and then they can choose a gift from one of the stores to gift a child for Christmas.

After gifts have been quarantined, they are then delivered to the child by Maidstone-based Aylesford Couriers in plenty of time for Christmas.

Mum Charley-Anne, 29, who lives in, Grays, and has fundraised more than £10,000 for her eight-year-old son Tyler who has autism, with Tree of Hope. Tyler and his younger sister Anabelle, seven, are recipients of Giving Tree gifts this year.

Charley-Anne said: 'Having a seven and eight year old is wonderful at Christmas – it's magical. Both my children love Christmas but each struggle in their own way with this eventful and overstimulating time of year. They both have a diagnosis of autism and Tyler also has a mix of other complex neurological issues including Tourette's Syndrome.'

'It's difficult to manage toe expectations and experiences of Christmas but we do our best. The Giving Tree at Bluewater is a fantastic way of spreading Christmas spirit. The children are very excited about their presents but also do a lot of gifting themselves too. We'd like to thank everyone for their kindness.'

Tree of Hope gives families charity status to raise money for treatment, equipment and other healthcare needs for their children which they are not eligible for on the NHS, making campaigns eligible for gift aid, corporate support and provides donor reassurance so that families can raise the money they need quicker and more effectively. This year 24 children, along with all their siblings, supported by Tree of Hope, will be receiving gifts from the Giving Tree.

Gill Gibb, Tree of Hope CEO said: 'We are delighted to once again be partnering with Bluewater for their Giving Tree event. Christmas can be a challenging time for many of the families we support for many reasons, and this event helps bring an extra element of Christmas cheer. We'd also like to thank Aylesford Couriers for their help in getting the gifts to where they need to go, as well as, of course, to all the generous shoppers who have donated and The Giving Tree team.'

Gifts for the Bluewater Giving Tree can be bought until December 22. To find out more, visit this link.

For more information about Tyler and his personal fundraising page, click here.