Children who might otherwise not receive a present on Christmas Day will benefit from the continued partnership between the Salvation Army and Isle of Man Bank – helped by the well known generosity of the Manx public. The two organisations are combining, for the seventh year, to help bring Christmas cheer to children whose parents may struggle to meet the household bills as well as buying their own family gifts. The 2011 Christmas Toys Appeal was launched, officially, at a ceremony in the Athol Street Branch of Isle of Man Bank in Douglas. Salvation Army captains Simon and Carolyn Clampton, together with Isle of Man Bank staff Denise Kelly and Magda Rowinska, posed with armfuls of toys already donated by the public. Captain Carolyn Clampton said the Salvation Army distributed presents to around 300 children last Christmas –children who in the normal course of events would have been unlikely to have anything to open on Christmas morning. Captain Clampton added: ‘This is part of our important work during a major Christian festival. The initiative is aimed at bringing pleasure and gifts to children for whom December 25th might be just another day. However, we also hope the Toys Appeal brings home to people the real meaning of Christmas and the important message of joy and hope it contains for us all at this time of year.’ The projects runs throughout the month of November and members of the public are asked to consider buying one extra gift and leaving it, unwrapped, at any branch of Isle of Man Bank. Salvation Army volunteers collect the presents and take them to a central point where one married couple has the task of wrapping anything up to 1,000 toys in time for Christmas. Captain Clampton said that while the appeal was looking for presents for all ages from birth to 16 they were sometimes short of gifts at the lower and upper end of the range. The Salvation Army liaises with groups such as social and primary care workers, as well as health visitors and others, to identify families who might be grateful for outside help. All the gifts are usually wrapped-up during the first two weeks of December and then sent back to the original referrers for distribution. Aim is to complete the project by December 16th. Emphasising Isle of Man Bank’s continued commitment, Athol Street branch manager Denise Kelly said: ‘If we are honest, we have to admit we all like opening presents on Christmas Day and it is not nice to think there may be children in the Island who cannot do the same. The Salvation Army and its volunteers work hard to eliminate this possibility and the Bank is pleased to play its part in such a worthwhile scheme.’ ENDS