AN APPEAL TO provide under privileged children in the Selby area with gifts this Christmas is gaining support.

The Elmet Lions have organised their first Christmas Toy Appeal, and have called for residents in the area to donate gifts for distribution to children and teenagers over the festive period.

The appeal ends on November 30, and David Jones from Elmet Lions said the appeal was "coming on nicely", and he was glad to see so many generous donations.

He said: "This is Elmet Lions first Toy Appeal and we are very pleased with the response so far. The quality of the toys that we have received is excellent and varied.

"It is great that so many generous people are getting involved with Elmet Lions and the Salvation Army, to help those children and families that are not usually so fortunate."

Items, which must be new, can be taken to the Spar shop in Sherburn in Elmet, and will be later distributed to needy children by the Salvation Army at Tadcaster.

A special donation was received in the last week by Sherburn-based British Gypsum. The firm usually buys a Christmas tree every year for their reception area, but since the price of the tree increased from £200 to almost £300 in the last year, the company decided to look at alternative arrangements for the £200 ,which was already in their annual budget.

The employees unanimously agreed that the funds should be donated to The Elmet Lions’ Christmas Toy Appeal rather than spent on a Christmas tree, as they felt because they are not a commercial business with customers regularly visiting the office, there was no pressure to make the reception area festive.

The company will instead buy toys to the value of £200 and donate them directly to the appeal.

Lynn Hudson, secretary to the plant manager at British Gypsum, said the company was happy to support the appeal.

She said: "We will be looking to continually support The Elmet Lions’ Christmas Toy Appeal for the following years.

"Everything that The Elmet Lions do, from the Santa Sleigh to the general community work is fantastic and it was a unanimous decision within the office to donate the money to their Christmas Toy Appeal rather than purchasing a Christmas tree."