Children unfortunate enough to be spending Christmas Day in Tameside Hospital have been given some much-needed festive cheer thanks to Droylsden Amateur Boxing Club.
Members of the club and the wider community have rallied in support of the annual Christmas Food and Toy Appeal, donating various items of non-perishable food and a wide selection of gifts, including board games and colouring books.
Organised and coordinated by club coach Ian Harrison, the appeal was launched on October 11th and enjoyed a great response within a matter of days. Following eight weeks of consistent donations, the appeal closed on December 11th and Ian, along with members of the club, headed to Tameside Hospital on Monday night to deliver half of the gifts, before heading to Olivia Lodge in Clayton to distribute the other half.
Ian, who was invited to Buckingham Palace as part of the Queen's 93rd birthday celebrations in May 2019, has been overwhelmed by the generosity shown from family, friends and the wider community. He now hopes that the families and children going through a difficult time have something to finally smile about on Christmas Day. Speaking to Reporter Sport about the appeal, Ian said: "We've previously held a Food and Toy appeal to great success, and with the current conditions facing a lot of families this year, it was a no brainer to repeat it.
"I can't thank the people who have supported the appeal enough. Your efforts haven't gone unnoticed and it's great to know there are loads of children and families in the local area that will benefit from your generosity - thank you".
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