THE Christmas spirit is alive and well in Worcester as kind-hearted Rotarians helped raise money for festive food parcels for the city's most needy.

Twenty volunteers were collecting cash donations outside the Guildhall in Worcester on Saturday between 9.30am and 2pm for the Rotary Christmas Parcel Project.

The project has been bringing parcels to some of the most lonely and needy people in Worcester for the last 45 years.

Co-ordinator Celia Gardner of the Rotary Club of Worcester Vigornia said she hoped volunteers would be able to collect £100 on the day.

This will add to their existing £930, taking their grand total to over £1,000.

This cash will be spent on topping up the existing gifts of food so the parcels will be even more generous and contain more luxuries for people to enjoy.

Mrs Gardner said: "People are usually really pleased to receive the parcels.

"Some of them do not know how they're going to give themselves a traditional Christmas.

"It would just be an ordinary day and ordinary food they would consume if they didn't have this boost.

"It makes their Christmas. They look forward to us going to see them."

The project began with the Rotary Club of Worcester but has been embraced by all Rotarians, including the Rotary Club of Worcester Vigornia and the Rotary Club of Worcester Wychavon.

Stephen Hodgson of the Rotary Club of Worcester Vigornia said they had worked to identify those most in need of a parcel, including people who are lonely or who have fallen on hard times.

Next Sunday the items collected will be taken to a sorting centre at the Lyppard Hub in Ankerage Green, Warndon Villages to made up into parcels to be distributed.

The bags can contain tinned food, mince pies, Christmas pudding, chocolates, tea and biscuits.

Rotarians have dropped off around 6,000 bags for donations of food across Worcester. They hope to deliver 750 parcels to those people identified on the database.

The Mayor of Worcester, Cllr Roger Knight, was present to give his support.

He said: "It's brilliant. Rotary do a tremendous amount in Worcester. The voluntary sector in general holds Worcester together yet their work is largely unrecognised and under-appreciated.

"If it wasn't for the voluntary sector and charitable organisations Worcester would not be the great city it is today."