People across the district can pay tribute to their loved ones this Christmas and help raise money for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal.

The sixth annual Christmas Star Appeal will support his chosen charities, Little Heroes and Bradford and District Senior Power.

Stars dedicated to friends and family will be displayed on a Christmas tree in the Banqueting Suite at Bradford City Hall.

The Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor John Godward has dedicated the first star to his mother Winifred who died 11 years ago, aged 86.

He said: “She was a very special person in my life. I have been a councillor for 29 years and she used to say to me ‘when are you going to be Lord Mayor?’ I wasn’t even deputy Lord Mayor when she died. She would be very, very pleased and proud.”

Bradford-based Little Heroes supports children suffering from cancer and their families and aims to open a day care centre in Bradford, which will have a sterile environment for children with limited immune systems, within the next two years.

Bradford and District Senior Power was formed in 2005 to give advice to people aged 50 or more on issues including health, finance, and housing and provide social activities. It plans to build a drop-in centre for older people in Bradford so it can provide all its services under one roof. The Lord Mayor said: “At some stage the number of people over 50 will be the majority so there will be more people retired than working. We need to be prepared for this and we must drive this issue forward.”

The Christmas Star Appeal has raised more than £6,200 for Lord Mayor’s appeals in the past six years.

People who have donated a star will be invited to City Hall on Monday, December 7, for a glass of wine and a mince pie with the Lord Mayor.

Nominations should be sent on the form printed in today's Telegraph & Argus, with a £5 donation cheque, payable to The Lord Mayor’s Appeal, to The Editor’s Secretary, Telegraph & Argus, Hall Ings, Bradford BD1 1JR.

The closing date is Monday, November 30.