MORE than £770,000 of presents were donated to help give needy children in Lancashire a happy Christmas.

Shoppers, staff and retailers at The Mall Blackburn helped its charity of the year, Cash for Kids, and local organisation Charities @ SAMS to collect gifts for people across Blackburn with Darwen.

More than 16,000 children in Lancashire were given kind donations of presents worth more than £777,000. The Mall Blackburn was one of 500 drop-off points for donations in the county. 

Charities @ SAMS collected 165 gifts, with a value of £2,640, which were distributed to people across Blackburn with Darwen.

Other festive fundraising activities included charity gift-wrapping, selling gifts at the Ask Me Point, taking photos with Santa, a staff Christmas jumper day and sales of the Song A Minute Man album. 

Laura Diffey, who is the marketing manager at The Mall Blackburn, said: “We are absolutely delighted that both Cash for Kids and Charities @ SAMS were able to help so many people in need over the festive period.

“We were, once again, blown away by the generosity shown by our shoppers.

“It is easy to forget that not everyone can afford to splash out at Christmas and working with these fantastic organisations really does make a difference to a lot of people.

“I would like to personally thank each and every person that donated a gift and, although there wasn’t much room to move in the marketing office on the run up the big day, it is great to know that all the presents went directly to individuals who thoroughly deserved them.”

Nikki Thompson, who works with Cash for Kids, said: “This year’s Mission Christmas was the most successful one yet and it was great to have The Mall on board for the first time.

“We have been working with the team at The Mall all year after being selected as the shopping centres charity of the year in 2017. 

“It has been an invaluable experience and a pleasure to work with them.”
Joanne Mason, who works for Charities @ SAMS, added: “Christmas Wishes would not be possible without the generosity of everyone at The Mall Blackburn. 

“The gifts went to a whole host of people including children living in care, young people living in hostels and homeless people who visited various day centres on Christmas Day.”