Leicester residents urged to donate Christmas treats for those in need

A Leicester-based charity is appealing for donations of Christmas treats to help people in need get into the holiday spirit. Open Hands is hoping people will give seasonal goodies which it will then be able to distribute to people across Leicestershire.

Donation points have been set up at shops in the city and beyond to make it simple for people to drop off items. The 'treats' the charity is hoping to receive include Christmas crackers, chocolate coins and tubes of sweets.

A spokesperson for the charity said: “Every year at Open Hands, we love to bless people in need around Leicester with Christmas treats, extending our reach beyond our regular guests to support families and individuals connected to schools and churches across the county.”

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The organisation, which helps provide food, clothing and furniture to people of limited means, has more than 100 volunteers who help Open Hands to meet "the emergency practical needs of people in Leicester. Its work includes offering people a hot meal once a week, opening emergency food stores twice a week and providing English classes to more than 100 students annually.

A student who attends the charity's English classes said: “Open Hands built a community which cares, shares, spreads their happiness and vanishes our fear."

This holiday season, it is asking for donations of:

• Instant hot chocolate

• Selection boxes

• Christmas crackers

• Chocolate oranges

• Boxes of sweet biscuits

• Chocolate coins

• Popcorn

• 'Festive' crisps

• Tubes of sweets

• Cheese crackers

Goods must still be in date on Christmas Day - Wednesday, December 25.

There are seven donation points set up in shops. They can be found at:

• Co-op, London Road, LE2 2PN

• Sainsbury’s, London Road, LE2 1ED

• Asda, Oadby, LE2 4AH

• Sainsbury's, Fosse Park, LE19 1WT

• Co-op, Fleckney, LE8 8AJ

• Asda, Abbey Lane, LE4 5NU

• Leicester Wholefoods, Freehold Street, LE1 2LX

Treats can also be dropped off at the Open Hands Compassion Centre, 19 Lower Willow Street, near Belgrave Circle, Leicester, between 1-5pm on Tuesdays and 3-5pm on Thursdays. The last day to give is Friday, November 22.