CHRISTMAS TOY APPEAL: HUNDREDS of generous donations have helped to get the Christmas Toy Appeal off to a brilliant start.

For the second year running the Gazette has joined forces with the Salvation Army to help spread good cheer to disadvantaged families across Wiltshire.

Last week the Gazette launched the annual campaign to collect toys and gifts for children who would otherwise miss out at Christmas. The appeal helped hundreds of families last year and we want to have an even bigger impact this Christmas.

Generous readers have been dropping toys off at the paper's offices in Chippenham and Devizes and filling the storerooms with bags of special goodies.

Superdrug stores in Chippenham and Devizes are also acting as collection points and have received a good number of gifts already.

Captain Mary Wolfe, of the Chippenham Salvation Army Corps, said the

appeal was going very well. She said volunteers were doing the first round of collections at the end of the week and would be gathering the goods from

Superdrug so they have room to collect even more gifts.

Assistant manager Laura Sidhu said more than 40 bags of presents had already been dropped at the shop in the first week of collection. They are being stored in a big cage at the back of the store.

"There are a lot of cuddly toys and children's games. Most people are bringing in more than one item. It is going really, really well," she said.

The shop is also handing out leaflets at the till so customers know all about the appeal.

Miss Sidhu said they had received lots of presents for young children but it would be great to see more presents for teenagers as well. She also said they needed more gifts for boys.

"People buy things in the shop and we try to encourage them to get one gift for a boy and one for a girl.

"We would like to encourage people to keep bringing in gifts and support the appeal," she said.

The Gazette office has also been flooded with toys for children of all ages. Generous gifts include a camera, a folding scooter and games such as Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and Twister.

Gazette receptionist Sheila Perry said members of the public had been extremely generous.

"One lady brought in a whole load of goodies in several different bags. She must have spent a fortune," she said.

Festive gifts brought to the Chippenham office included a Santa baby grow and an impressive three-piece Santa outfit for a girl aged three to four.

The Salvation Army will be collecting all the gifts on a regular basis in the run-up to Christmas. They will be sorted and distributed from their headquarters.

The charity works closely with the Social Services and health visitors to make sure the presents go to the most needy families in the county.

The gifts are passed on to parents who can then wrap the presents themselves and give them to their children on Christmas day.

"It makes a huge difference to the mums and dads to be able to give their children a new gift in the same way that everyone else does," said Capt Wolfe.