Observer Give a Gift appeal moves into final weekend as charities prepare a special Christmas

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Anyone who would still like to donate to this year’s Stirling Observer Give A Gift Appeal is being asked to drop their donations into our collection points by this weekend if possible.Charities and good causes are preparing to come along to choose from the items next week, and the Observer team will be out and about gathering things in over the coming days.Among those who have already donated is Cambusbarron childminder Moira Kerr and the children she cares for who once again raised funds throughout the year with a bake sale.Moira, a stalwart supporter of the appeal, and her young charges, raised an incredible £330 this year to buy toys and gifts.Appeal co-ordinator, Observer reporter Kaiya Marjoribanks, said: “Moira is helping to nurture a new generation of community spirited young people and is a great example of how the community in Stirling gets together for the appeal.“Not suprisingly perhaps, we have received more requests for help than ever this year, and we are keen to ensure we have as much available to the charities by next week’s collection day and get the majority of the gifts on their way in time for Christmas.“We may be faced with the donations being spread more thinly than usual, but we don’t like to turn anyone away and hopefully those who are doing such great work all year round will still be able to help at least most of those they support.”Running since 2008, the appeal receives and distributes donations of new toys and gifts for sick, disabled, needy and disadvantaged children and young people aged from babies to teenagers.Collected with the kind help of a host of drop-off points across the area, the gifts are then distributed via a wide range of charities, large and small, who are able to choose what