How you can buy a Christmas present for needy Hartlepool children this year despite pandemic

Hartlepool’s Middleton Grange shopping centre has collected thousands of presents for youngsters for over a decade through its Giving Tree.

Traditionally, shoppers took a gift tag off the tree in the shopping centre and bought a gift for the child on the tag.

This year due to coronavirus restrictions Middleton Grange has teamed up with Hartlepool design company In Studio to create a virtual giving tree which is up and running now.

To support it, people simply log on www.hartlepoolgivingtree.co.uk and select a tag giving details of the age, sex and gift wish for a particular child.

The gift giver is supplied with an address to send their present to. They will then be distributed between Hartlepool refuge Harbour and Hartlepool Carers.

Middleton Grange manager Mark Rycraft said: “This year is very different with less people coming out and more shopping being done online.

"But we didn’t want this to leave children in Hartlepool without a Christmas present.

"I contacted In Studio who without hesitation said ‘this is a really worthy cause’ and they have built the virtual tree website.”

Mark said the appeal has the potential to reach more people than ever by going online.

Joanne Horner from Harbour said Christmas can be very difficult for many of their clients.

She said: "Without the presents from the Giving Tree the children we are working with might not get a present this year so this is a very direct way for people to make a difference and we are grateful to everyone who donates a gift.”

In Studio operations director Karl Brown added: "The Giving Tree gave us a fantastic opportunity to be creative in design and use our website development skills to help make a difference to the lives of thousands of children this Christmas.

“We’ve been part of a great team making this project come to life and making the Hartlepool Giving Tree accessible in these unprecedented times.

"We feel that In Studio, alongside everyone involved, has made this a reality and we hope that the public get behind this brilliant campaign for children this Christmas.”

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