Police collect and deliver Christmas presents to Worcester's Acorns hospice

December 28 2018
Worcester police collect and deliver Christmas presents to Worcester's Acorns hospice

Children at Acorns hospice in Worcester received Christmas presents thanks to police who decided to give up their normal Secret Santa presents.

Members of the city’s local policing team on shift on Christmas Day instead donated gifts for children spending Christmas at Bath Road-based Acorns or in Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

The initiative spread through Worcester police station and the whole of West Mercia police force, with individuals donating gifts for children and aged from nought to 18 years.

Seeing how keen staff were to help, the teams wrote letters to local shops and put out an appeal on social media for friends and family to dig deep and donate a gift or two to the children and were overwhelmed with the response.

Local businesses and members of the public also donated their second hand toys, new toys and one woman even knitted numerous toys. Officers collected all the donations as well as having donations dropped into the front counter

They got more than 100 individually wrapped gifts, including toys, teddy bears, rocking horses, crayons, colouring books and essentials like dummies, clothes and muslin cloths.

Officers even donated a second hand television and Xbox for the children to play with on the ward who would not get to spend Christmas in their own home.

Sergeant Brian Simpkins, one of the officers who helped to organise the collection of gifts and visit said: "We wanted to do something nice for the children that are in the hospital or hospice for Christmas this year.

“We are overwhelmed by the response from staff, local businesses and members of the public that have heard about what we are doing and I want to give my heartfelt thanks to all the staff, businesses and members of the public that have been so generous in giving.

"As officers we chose to work the Christmas period, protecting the public from harm. However, we feel not only for the children who are away from their homes at this festive time of year but also their families and friends."

Sergeant Martin May, who was also involved in co-ordinating the collection of gifts from officers and local community and businesses, said: "A number of us from the shift delivered the presents to the children…and it was touching to see how the children responded to receiving a present from our officers.

“We are glad that we could spread a little bit of Christmas cheer We definitely want to do something similar again next year."

Acorns cares for children with life-limiting conditions.