THE Evening Advertiser Christmas toy appeal boxes are starting to bulge as people continue to donate their gifts.

Parents and children from Stratton St Margaret Mother and Toddler Group have generously donated £100 worth of new toys to the appeal, run in con-junction with the Swindon Rotary Club.

Debbie Harris, 46, and Suzanne Tewkesbury, 35, are committee members from the group, which meets twice a week.

The women were out in Swindon town, with Suz-anne's three-year-old son, Adam, choosing gifts to donate to the worthy cause.

Debbie said: "The money has come from registration fees so everyone within the group has contributed.

"I saw the article about the appeal in the Evening Advertiser and we thought it would be very nice if we helped out."

The shopping list of goodies included presents for various age groups and ranged from make-up and nail varnish to pens and construction kits.

Suzanne said: "We thought we would buy trendy presents for the children which makes it a little more special.

"You don't have to spend a fortune on the presents. We also bought hand held computer games, which only cost about £5.

"We had a committee meeting about the appeal last week and the general feeling was that our child-ren are very lucky.

"We don't need the surplus money from the group so it is good to share.

"The children will also learn the importance of sharing and kindness from the appeal."

The mother and toddler group meets at the Church Hall in Kenwin Close twice a week.

The group has been established for 30 years and there are now more than 80 parents with their children who regularly attend.

The sessions on Wednes-day and Friday mornings allow children to make new friends and socialise, while their parents enjoy a cup of coffee and a chat.

To help our Christmas appeal simply buy a present and drop it off in one of the collection boxes around Swindon.

There is no need to wrap them as we will do that.

Or look out for the blue moneyboxes in shops and businesses to donate your spare cash.

Don't forget, you can now donate online by logging on to:www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk and clicking the appeal link.