Mother Christmas has done it again, sharing the true spirit of Christmas with gifts of love donated by strangers to children in the most need the length and breadth of the county.
Donations from towns and villages in Northamptonshire have poured in to the annual toy appeal organised by our own Mother Christmas - Jeanette Walsh.
Thanks to the kind-hearted readers of this paper and the generosity of residents and businesses across the county more than 5,000 of the most deprived children will be having a very merry Christmas.
Jeanette said: "I have been amazed by this year's donations. I honestly think it's been the best year ever. I cannot thank the people who have donated and helped.
"Every single donation has been given with love and received with gratitude. The children will be able to have a much happier Christmas thanks to you."
Donations have been handed in at restaurants, offices, churches, sports clubs, schools and even a museum, with former social worker Jeanette passing on the gifts to social work teams across the main towns for distribution.
Mother Christmas has been using the cash donations from the Just Giving campaign to bolster supplies of gifts for teenagers with so far more than £2,700 raised by the online appeal. She added: "The support this year has been overwhelming. People in Northamptonshire are just incredible. Thank you and happy Christmas."
We would like to thank everyone who has donated including: Sunitosh Jiven and her friends and NHS colleagues, Shoosmiths, Travis Perkins and Northampton Saints RFC, Hunsbury Homes Cleaning Co, Nando’s, Salvation Army Northampton, Salvation Army Kettering, Wellingborough Museum, Shirefit Corby, Cheryl Coglin, Farrington Oils, Hope Methodist Church Rushden, Bridgewater School, Waitrose, Friends of Earls Barton, Barclays, Northants Police, Andrea Hodson, the trading standards team, St Laurence Church, Stanwick, Rothwell Methodist Church, Nationwide, iPSL, Parklands Primary School, Simply Gym Kettering, Sophie Berkshire, Mark Stafford, Frances Harvey, Cheryl Short, Vanessa, Kirsten, Martin and Sue Buckby, Alan and Carole Miles, Linda Boyle, Jose Dobson, Howes Percival, Jane and Graham Fletcher, Hayley and Merin.
1. Mother Christmas: "It's the best year ever"
Thousands of gifts from Salvation Army Tower Street in Northampton
2. Mother Christmas: "It's the best year ever"
Mother Christmas, retired social worker Jeanette Walsh, with some of the presents donated to the annual gift appeal
4. Mother Christmas: "It's the best year ever"
Jeanette has been donated shoe boxes filled with toiletries for teenagers