Help elderly to feel wanted at Christmas through the Christmas Gift Appeal

The chief executive of Age UK in Shropshire, Telford and The Wrekin estimates there are 10,000 people in the county who would describe themselves as lonely, having meaningful contact with friends, family or neighbours less than once a month.

"That is a lot of lonely people," says Hilary. "And that figure rises to 15,000 for those who have visits less than once a week."

New gifts for both the young and the elderly can be dropped off at collection points at the Shropshire Star head office at Ketley Business Park, Waterloo Road, Telford, or at Storage King in Archers Way, Battlefield Enterprise Park Storage. Both locations have ample parking.

There are further collection points at the Shropshire Star office in Bellstone, Shrewsbury, and at the Southwater One building in Telford town centre.

This year's Christmas Gift Appeal, organised by the Shropshire Star and our friends at Storage King, hopes to bring a smile to the faces of some of these lonely people and remind them that there are still people in the community who care for them.

We are asking Shropshire Star readers to donate small gifts to the appeal which can be distributed among the elderly people who visit Age UK's day centres.

Age UK runs 40 day centres across the county, which are attended by about 650 particularly vulnerable elderly people. A further 420 people receive regular 'befriending' from volunteers, and another 100 receive a 'telephone buddy' call once a week.

The charity is hoping to distribute the gifts at its day centres the week before Christmas and through its befrienders over the Christmas and new year period. Many of them would not get out of the house if they did not come to the day centre," she says.

"We would like to give small gifts to as many of them as possible. For most of them, it is not so much the gift itself as the fact that somebody has taken the time to think about them.

"We would like small gifts of things like chocolate, biscuits, toiletries or jigsaw puzzles. That will show older people who are on their own that someone is thinking of them at Christmas. Obviously this is a lot of older people, and we are happy to receive as many presents as you are able to provide, and distribute them as fairly as we can." Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin relies on 800 volunteers as well as 200 paid staff.

Age UK is one of 11 organisations which will benefit from this year's Christmas Gift Appeal.

The others are Hope House children's Hospice, Home-Start Telford & Wrekin, The Harry Johnson Trust, Telford & Wrekin Young Carers, the Little Rascals Foundation, North Shrewsbury Friendly Neighbours, Parents Opening Doors, the children's unit at Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, and Telford & Wrekin Council children's services.