Appeal for toy donations in East Wittering this Christmas

St Anne’s Church is unable to offer its popular 14th annual Christmas Festival Weekend this year due to current pandemic, but said help was urgently needed by causes normally supported at this event.

This includes supporting the Bognor Regis branch of the Salvation Army which usually plays at its Christingle Service and receives donated gifts for it to share.

As a result gifts of new toys are urgently needed by the Salvation Army to distribute to the children of families in the area who are particularly in need. In 2019 these numbered in excess of 200 and it is expected that the need this year will be greater. Anyone able to help is asked to leave new and unwrapped toys at the back of St Anne’s Church near the font any time between 9am and 5pm before Sunday, December 6.

The church is also collecting monetary gifts for the Children’s Society. If you would like to contribute, put your donation in an envelope and post it through the letterbox of St Anne’s Rectory.

Although the church cannot hold its Christmas Tree Festival, there will be a ‘Peace Tree’ in St Anne’s Church from December 14. Labels will be available to write the names of those whom you wish to be remembered and, perhaps, your thoughts at this time of the year.