Selkirk OnLine
Youngsters share the spirit of Christmas
Harry Watson, Ben Mcleister, Millie Mcleister, Gabriella Mcleister, and Lewis Wilde with just some of the 17 Christmas gift hampers that will be going out to children in the Selkirk area.
KIND-hearted kids from Selkirk have gone without a Christmas party this year and put the pennies they would have spent on celebrating towards buying toy hampers for needy youngsters.
Suzanne Mcleister, who runs children's activities at the town's Baptist Church, came up with the idea, and said the youngsters in the congregation had agreed straight away. Her initial £150 budget for the party was swelled by generous donations from church members, and by the time some of the children joined her for a very special shopping trip, they had £600 in the kitty. Suzanne said she was delighted to find the children were keen to spread some festive fun to those less fortunate than themselves.
"At Christmas time, of course children are often focused on what they are asking for in terms of presents, and I really wanted to encourage them to think about others," she said. "It has been great that they responded so enthusiastically to the project, as the whole church has. It has been fantastic to create lovely hampers which we hope will really bless those who receive them."
Seventeen hampers were put together, filled with toys chosen to appeal to children of different age groups, and decorated free of charge by Selkirk Flowers. They were then given to the Family Support Centre in the town, which will distribute them to children whose families would otherwise struggle to spoil them this Christmas. The Family Support Centre's Helen Moyland said: "This was a surprising and much-appreciated gift from the children of the Baptist Church. "It will ensure that children of the Selkirk area will experience a happier Christmas. The Family Support Team extend their gratitude to all who have provided the hampers."
The church's Viv Wade added: "Obviously it's going to make some deserving children who wouldn't have got that much very happy. It's also going to be such a relief to some parents who can't afford to spend a lot on presents. "It can be a very difficult time and stressful for parents, so these will help the whole family to enjoy Christmas."
Selkirk Online is very grateful to Susan Windram and her team at the Selkirk Weekend Advertiser for supporting the site by providing this news item.