BOLTON'S hearts of gold have made it a caring, sharing Christmas for more than 1,000 local needy children this year. Readers have donated more than £3,000 to the Bolton Evening News/Bolton Lions campaign to help hundreds of poor families over Christmas. And they have handed in thousands of gifts - many of them new toys specially bought - for a child they will never meet.

This outpouring of seasonal kindness has come from every part of the community, and from all ages.

From £5 postal orders from an anoymous Deane pensioner with the message "please buy something nice for a kiddie", to pupils from Harper Green School who collected their loose change and raised £370.

From supportive local businesses like Greenwood-McAuley-Kirkpatrick, House of Raja and Bar Peru - where popular talent contests have really boosted the Caring Christmas Appeal cash - to several local churches like St Bartholomew' at Westhoughton which have held gift services. And from nursing staff on Ward D1 at the Royal Bolton Hospital who bought toys for the appeal instead of sending each other Christmas cards, to the Bolton office worker who sent in her Christmas bonus with instructions to "use this to help someone else's Christmas".

Local charitable groups like WRVS, whose staff got together with the Monday Club members at Crompton Court to donate money to the appeal, to the national charity the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists Painters who sent gifts.

Even Father Christmas has lent his festive weight to our campaign. The jolly Santa in Bolton's Crompton Place shopping centre has been collecting cash and gifts from the little children and families who have visited him. Bolton Lions' president Douglas Darroch said the "magnificent local public have once more helped to make the appeal a resounding success".

He paid particular tribute to all the Lions who have worked so hard, especially Jim Wells and Brian Mann, and to the BEN "which is vital to the Appeal".

One Westhoughton woman, on her own with two children, wrote to the BEN: "When I received your Christmas parcel, I just cried. The feeling that someone cares is wonderful. God bless you."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.