'Overwhelming' response to toy appeal

A woman collecting toys for children in Jersey whose parents struggle to afford Christmas presents said the response had been "overwhelming".

Charlotte Riley posted on Facebook earlier this month asking islanders to donate gifts for children of families who find Christmas financially difficult.

Ms Riley currently has a list of eight children who her toy drive will help, but is expecting more families to come forward.

Parents can give Ms Riley their child's name, age, and interests which she will then use to match presents with them.

Ms Riley said she wanted to "make this Christmas magical for every child - because every child deserves a special holiday" and it should not cause "shame or embarrassment" for parents.

"They [parents] can speak to me on a personal level," she said.

"We can arrange for them to be able to collect something without even having for them to see me if that's what they wish."

Ms Riley has found the response from those wanting to help "amazing".

She said: "The amount of support has been overwhelming. I'm a little bit worried about where I’m going to store everything, to be perfectly honest."

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