It’s a wrap: our Community Christmas Giving Appeal is a huge success
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Two children deliver Christmas presents to Clacton Police Station -
Presents donated in Castle Point and Rochford -
Epping Forest volunteers wrapping donated gifts -
Off-duty officers wrapping presents in Brentwood -
Piles of wrapped donations in Southend -
Thurrock Volunteer Police Cadets visited Thurrock Council offices to help staff wrap presents donated to the council's Give A Gift appeal, which our team in Thurrock supports -
Epping Forest Community Policing Team Inspector Rob Fitt and two of his police community support officers hand over donated presents to volunteers from Epping Forest Independent Advisory Group and Voluntary Action Epping Forest -
PC James Draper delivers donated gifts to a Braintree primary school -
PCSO Kurt Cornwall delivers donated presents to volunteers at the food bank at St Nicholas' Church, Canvey Island -
Staff at a Witham infants' school receive presents donated to our Community Christmas Giving Appeal
Wow! Once again, we’ve had a fantastic response across Essex to our appeal for Christmas gifts for vulnerable children and young people.
This year you have donated more than 9,000 presents across our districts and our officers and staff have been working hard with Father Christmas and other partners, including his Elves, to ensure they are delivered in time for the big day.
Chief Inspector Paul Ballard was our Christmas Gold Commander this year and he says people have been so generous with their gifts even though times are tough.
“The response to our Community Christmas Giving Appeal has once again been tremendous despite the fact that many people are facing hardship this year and don’t have much themselves.
“It’s been really gratifying to see the response and to know that every present donated will be passed on to young people and children who might otherwise have nothing at Christmas.
“Our officers have been working locally with some of our specialist investigation teams, Children’s Social Care, councils and other organisations to identify families and children where your gifts will make a big difference and to make sure they are delivered by Christmas Day.
“I want to thank everyone who has donated presents or who has helped us to wrap and to deliver them and wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year. Stay safe everyone.”
Presents are still being donated and Paul says we will ensure that every single one will be found a good home.
“We have closed all our local district appeals now but any gifts which arrive too late for Christmas will be given to young victims of crimes, such as burglary and domestic abuse, where it’s appropriate.”
As well as our specialist teams with Children Social Care, we’ve worked with local councils, charities, voluntary groups, churches, schools, refuges, foodbanks, hospital children’s wards, hospices and social housing associations to make sure all your presents go to a good home.
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