SWINDON Women's Refuge has thanked Evening Advertiser readers for supporting them over Christmas in verse.

Jenni Manners, 51, who runs the refuge, wrote a poem expressing gratitude on behalf of all the residents who were helped over the festive period.

She said: "The Advertiser's support has been invaluable and I just wanted to say the biggest thank you."

So Ms Manners spent two hours penning a six-verse poem, entitled A Christmas Thank You.

Swindon Women's Refuge was among the 11 good causes to benefit from our Christmas Appeal, which reached its target of £4,000.

Thanks to our support, the charity was able to lay on a Christmas party for families fleeing domestic violence.

Ms Manners said: "We were able to buy all the things, which make Christmas extra special, like cake, decorations, stuffing for the turkey and chocolates. It is easy to take all these trimmings for granted. But they meant so much to our residents."

The charity, which can house up to 22 families, has been running since 1975. Ms Manners started working there two years later when she was a 24-year-old single mother, who had suffered abuse during her own marriage.

She has been at the forefront of its development ever since.

This Christmas Day was the first one she spent away from the refuge since 1977.

"It was the first year I haven't worked," she said. "But the families are so friendly it never feels like work."

Ms Manners received a belated Christmas present from the Queen, when she was awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours list.

She said: "That was just the icing on the cake after we had such a good Christmas.

"Once again I would like to say thank you to everyone who supported the appeal. Without your support, that wonderful Christmas wouldn't have happened."

Victoria Tagg