MAJOR Vivienne Prescott from the Forest of Dean Salvation Army made sure 130 local children from families in difficulty woke up to presents on Christmas Day by collecting toys, books and other gifts.

The appeal was supported by Two Rivers Housing staff and contractors, who brought in gifts and raised £110 for gift vouchers for older children and teenagers.

Vivienne said: “We can promise families food for Christmas Day but we rely on donations to be able to offer gifts, and these will make such a huge difference. We get the lovely job of passing them on to very worried mums or dads and seeing the relief on their faces when they know they will have a present for their child or children.

“This is truly amazing. These gifts will go a long way and make a real difference to a lot of people in the Forest of Dean.”

This is the second year that Two Rivers Housing employees, Ruth Macdonald and Denise Voyce, have co-ordinated the initiative. They were delighted with the response from their colleagues, not only through the gifts donated, but the money raised through a staff raffle.

Ruth added: “People are so generous and I am totally overwhelmed by the amount donated. It has completely exceeded my expectations for the second year running. It was lovely to welcome Vivienne to collect the gifts and meet the staff. I’m so glad that we are able to help make a difference.”