SHOPPERS and Shuttle/Times and News readers will be helping to light up the faces of hundreds of children across Wyre Forest this Christmas.

The Christmas Tree Appeal, run by the newspaper, Kidderminster's Swan Shopping Centre and Home-Start, aims to collect hundreds of presents to add festive sparkle to the lives of youngsters at such a special time of year.

Over the last 10 years the scheme has been a huge success, with thousands of gifts worth more than £40,000 being donated.

The Swan Centre takes on a special festive appearance for the Christmas season and will again be the hub of our appeal, which kicks off when the town's Christmas lights burst into life on Saturday, November 26.

The appeal will run for three weeks until Saturday, December 17 and then Home-Start volunteers will make sure the presents are delivered to homes across Wyre Forest by Christmas Day.

It could not be easier to get involved in the appeal.

All you have to do is pop along to the Swan Centre and collect one or more of the tags which bear the name and age of a child who would like a gift.

A special festive tree bearing tags will be at the centre in the run-up to Christmas and tags can also be collected from the centre's management offices at the top of the escalator.

Alternatively, tags can also be obtained from the Shuttle/Times and News office in Blackwell Street, Kidderminster, between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Friday.

When you have chosen your gift, simply attach the tag to it and return it to the Swan Centre or the newspaper office. You may wrap the gift if you wish.

Shuttle/Times and News editor, Clive Joyce, said: "This scheme has brought so much joy to the children of our district over the last 10 years and we are so grateful to all those generous readers and shoppers who support us.

"Their kind thoughts can make such a difference to children at a special time of year."

He added: "If people would prefer Home-Start to buy the gift for them, we are more than happy to accept cash donations and would also be delighted to receive gift tokens."

Home-Start works across the district, offering friendship and practical help to families with young children.

For more information on the annual appeal, please call Clive Joyce on 01562 633348. If you would like to know more about Home-Start, call Wyre Forest manager Jane Jarman on 01562 825896.