STRUGGLING families in the area have received food and presents this Christmas thanks to Winchester Round Table.

The organisation’s Christmas Parcels Campaign has made packages to help families of young carers, young people undertaking counselling, people using the Winchester Basics Bank, and older people in the Winchester district who are isolated and less likely to receive anything over the festive period.

The city council provided information to volunteers, which has been used to create Christmas parcels packed with foodstuffs and toys. The parcels have been distributed to families in the Winchester district.

The parcels are funded by the profits of the annual fireworks night in November, this year reimagined as Light Up Winchester.

Winchester Basics Bank provided both guidance and surplus foodstuffs to go into the parcels whilst Sainsbury's and the Entertainer generously donated food and toys. The relationships between all these partners has grown between the Round Table over the years but is stronger than ever since the Give Share Feed initiative in Lockdown one.

Steve Cross, Winchester Round Table’s community service chair, said: "Christmas can be a challenging time for many people, and we hope our Christmas parcels initiative can help to spread a little more joy around the community. We are extremely grateful to our partners, donors and sponsors who help make this happen each year. It is extremely heart-warming to see the smiles on people's faces when they are given an unexpected gift."