Bringing Christmas cheer to deprived children

Christmas Wishes launches its 2016 Christmas Toy Appeal in The Martlets, Burgess Hill, tomorrow (November 3) collecting Christmas gifts for children aged 0 to 16.
By The Newsroom
Published 2nd Nov 2016, 06:00 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 02:00 BST

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The charity provides toys and food hampers for underprivileged families in and around Burgess Hill. There will also be a collection box in Tesco until November 14, and one in Sussex Karate Shop until Christmas.

Christmas Wishes was launched in 2013 by Petrina Wickens and Danielle Carter, to throw a Christmas party for underprivileged children in the Burgess Hill area.

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It soon grew when it realised there were more families needing help all year round, not just at Christmas.

Throughout the year the children’s charity works hard to raise funds selling cupcakes and sweetie cones, and for the last three years it has made Christmas happier and a lot less stressful for many families thanks to its Christmas appeals.

“There are so many sad stories, we are now helping people who would never have dreamed of needing help from a charity - you just need a few bad things to happen and you find yourself in financial trouble,” said Petrina.

“This year we are helping some families that are in work. They struggle because they are on a basic income which has not gone up but the cost of living has.”

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This year Christmas Wishes has helped more than 50 families with food hampers and toy parcels.

One mum who has been helped by Christmas Wishes said: “Christmas Wishes is an amazing organisation which helps many families in the Burgess Hill area, without the Christmas hamper we would be eating beans on toast for dinner.”

Contributed by Christmas Wishes

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