AN appeal to bring some festive joy to vulnerable young and elderly people across North Yorkshire has proved a major success.

Staff at North Yorkshire County Council’s customer service centre have been overwhelmed by the response to their request for items to make up gift boxes.

The centre is the first point of contact for adult and children’s social care and staff are keen supporters of charity and fundraising activities that help adults and children in need.

They decided to launch a campaign similar to the Christmas Shoebox Appeal, but specifically to benefit people in North Yorkshire, and appealed to council colleagues across the county and on social media.

Team leader Allison Forster, who was involved in organising the project, said: “The response was overwhelming, with boxes of goodies being received from all across the county and so many contributions from North Yorkshire residents as well as staff.”

A group of customer service centre staff gave up their time to sort and pack the items into boxes. Items included toys, sweets, colouring books, crayons, socks, gloves and scarves for children and toiletries, sweets, books, puzzle books and Christmas food for adults.

Allison said: “One lady explained she had lost her grandma recently and had packed a shoebox full of items her grandmother would have liked to have received, so she would like her parcel to go to an elderly lady, which was arranged through the council’s mobile library.”

The gift boxes are being distributed widely through organisations including The Crossing hostel in Northallerton for homeless young people, the Friarage Hospital paediatrics unit and the Maggie Neil women’s refuge in Northallerton.

Parcels are also being distributed by members of the County Council’s Living Well teams, which work with people and their carers to help them find support in their community, in Hambleton, Richmondshire, Harrogate and Craven and the disabled children’s team in Hambleton and Richmondshire.

“This is something we hope will continue to develop in coming years,” said Allison.

Richard Flinton, Chief Executive of North Yorkshire County Council, said: “This is a great initiative and reflects the extraordinary public service commitment there is from staff within North Yorkshire County Council. Well done to everybody involved. We hope this makes Christmas a little brighter than it might have been for a few people in North Yorkshire.”