School students hand over nearly 1,000 presents to Christmas appeal

The pupils, from Newport Girls’ High School, were thrilled to hand over the gifts to the Telford appeal.

It comes after a non-uniform day took place at the school, with students taking part in exchange for a donated gift.

The presents were transported by minibus to be wrapped and distributed by the volunteer team from the ‘Christmas Smile’ charity.

They will now be given to children and families in the Telford area for whom Christmas can be a struggle.

The collection was organised by the student leadership team at Newport Girls’ High School.

Lower School Head Girl, Year 10 student Sienna Raiyat said: “We were so excited to be able to deliver so many gifts to this amazing charity. We have supported Christmas Smile for the last few years but nothing on this scale. This is such a fantastic effort and we can’t quite believe how much we were able to give!”

Assistant Headteacher, Oliver Pointon added: “The pupils deserve all the credit for organising and collecting the gifts. It really does demonstrate the kindness, commitment and initiative of the Lower School Head Girl Team and all of our students. I am sure we will continue to support the Christmas Smile appeal in future years and the great work they do at this time of year.”

Founded in 2013, Christmas Smile is a project run by the community providing gifts to local children and families living in difficult circumstances.

Charity leader, Kate Phillips said: “Not everyone in our community has a roof over their heads, a loving family, food on the table or gifts under the tree. Our aim is to give a Christmas surprise to each person living in Telford who is experiencing difficulties.

"We would like to say a massive thank you to Newport Girls’ High School for their kindness in providing so many presents. Along with the donations from the rest of the community, their gifts will go a long way to making Christmas that little bit more special for the children and families we help.”