A series of festive activities are taking place this week thanks to employee-volunteering charity York Cares and some of the city’s biggest businesses.

Local workers are organising Christmas parties at seven elderly people’s homes where they will be singing carols, playing bingo and chatting to residents over mince pies during their lunch hours.

Organisations taking part include the University of York, Langleys, Northern Rail, Interchange and Consort Hotels (Best Western), East Coast Mainline and Waitrose.

York Cares has also encouraged local businesses to collect toiletries, festive food and toys and donate them to community projects helping people in crisis, including York Food Bank, Arc Light, Carecent, Foundation, Howe Hill, Peasholme Centre, Ordnance Lane, The Salvation Army, the Scarcroft Project and the Women’s Housing Project.

Organisations involved are the University of York, Langleys, Aviva, Northern Rail and Network Rail.

Holly Hennell, of York Cares, said: “We’ve had a fantastic response with so many people wanting to get involved.”