This charitable teenager has taken a leaf out of Father Christmas’s book to deliver presents to deserving children. Victoria, a Year 11 student, has been buying and collecting Christmas presents to donate to youngsters spending this winter in hospital.

The 16-year-old is filling boxes full of thoughtful gifts to take the children’s ward at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. She said: “I want to give the children a Christmas they would never forget. My idea is to gets lots of little gifts and put them inside a shoe box. The shoe boxes are only small but it’s what’s inside that makes the difference. I am doing this because every child deserves to smile.”

Each of Victoria’s shoeboxes will be filled with gifts including colouring books and pencils, selection boxes, accessories and action figures. The teenager, who aspires to be a dance instructor to “inspire others to work hard”, added: “The children on the ward have to spend Christmas there so I thought that they deserved a gift while they were there. I want to make sure that the children have a Christmas to remember and inspire others to help and give to the people around that are suffering.”

And Victoria has been working to spread her festive cheer around school too, talking in assemblies to invite classmates to donate gifts or enter a raffle to give cash to buy presents. She added: “I hope the gifts will show that children at Aspire Academy are thinking of them at this time of year. Christmas is a time for families to be together and share joy, which might be difficult if they’re not all together, that’s what inspired me to do something.”

John Topping, deputy principal at Aspire Academy, said: “We are extremely proud of what Vicky has achieved, raising funds for this excellent initiative. Vicky attended every assembly and spoke to the students about this great project. We are delighted that so many of our pupils listened intently to Vicky’s ideas and then brought small gifts in for Vicky to give, or bought a raffle ticket for the star prizes.”This charitable teenager has taken a leaf out of Father Christmas’s book to deliver presents to deserving children. Victoria, a Year 11 student, has been buying and collecting Christmas presents to donate to youngsters spending this winter in hospital.

 

The 16-year-old is filling boxes full of thoughtful gifts to take the children’s ward at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. She said: “I want to give the children a Christmas they would never forget. My idea is to gets lots of little gifts and put them inside a shoe box. The shoe boxes are only small but it’s what’s inside that makes the difference. I am doing this because every child deserves to smile.”

Each of Victoria’s shoeboxes will be filled with gifts including colouring books and pencils, selection boxes, accessories and action figures. The teenager, who aspires to be a dance instructor to “inspire others to work hard”, added: “The children on the ward have to spend Christmas there so I thought that they deserved a gift while they were there. I want to make sure that the children have a Christmas to remember and inspire others to help and give to the people around that are suffering.”

And Victoria has been working to spread her festive cheer around school too, talking in assemblies to invite classmates to donate gifts or enter a raffle to give cash to buy presents. She added: “I hope the gifts will show that children at Aspire Academy are thinking of them at this time of year. Christmas is a time for families to be together and share joy, which might be difficult if they’re not all together, that’s what inspired me to do something.”

John Topping, deputy principal at Aspire Academy, said: “We are extremely proud of what Vicky has achieved, raising funds for this excellent initiative. Vicky attended every assembly and spoke to the students about this great project. We are delighted that so many of our pupils listened intently to Vicky’s ideas and then brought small gifts in for Vicky to give, or bought a raffle ticket for the star prizes.”