FOR the third year running, Tesco, in Canal Road, Bradford, has supported the Telegraph & Argus Toys & Tins Appeal and puts its success down to the generosity of its customers.

The appeal helps provide gifts and food for women and children in Bradford who are fleeing domestic violence and are being helped through Bradford Women's Aid whose director is Sally Deane.

The charity helps hundreds of women and children each year and we are delighted to be able to say that in the past two Toys & Tins Appeal we have carried out, every child in the charity's care received a gift on Christmas morning.

Tracey Porter, community champion with Tesco, in Canal Road, said the store was delighted to support the appeal.

She explained: "We have supported the Toys & Tins Appeal for the last two years and it really has been very successful so we wanted to help out again especially as it provides children and families with presents and food which they may not otherwise get.

"We have a bin near the store's checkout for people to leave donations.

"Staff have be putting items in as well and again our manager is donating items of toys and food from Tesco directly to the appeal.

"We help out a lot of local charities each year, as well as the national ones we support, and we know we can always rely on the generosity of customers who, especially at Christmas, always try to dig that little bit deeper to help others. The people of Bradford really are very generous and caring," she said.

As well as local businesses and supermarkets, readers have been responding to our appeal and have been leaving bags of food and gifts at our reception in Hall Ings.

At the end of appeal, volunteers from Bradford Women's Aid will collect the items and sort the toys into the relevant age groups before wrapping them and delivering them to the children in time for Christmas.

The food donations will be sorted and handed out to the mums.

Ms Deane said the mums and children often have to flee a dangerous situation with no money and only a few clothes and possessions.

It is because of this that many people have also donated toiletries such as toothpaste and shower gel as the parents often can't afford to buy them.

She said: "These families have little or nothing and the donations over the Christmas period are vital as they bring much needed comfort at what would otherwise be a very bleak time.

“During the last year we have provided support to 533 women and children many of whom had become homeless as a result of domestic abuse.”

Staff working for the charity said the gifts really do make a difference at Christmas to the women and children.

Donations can be left at the Hall Ings reception between 9.30am and 3pm Monday to Friday.

The last day for donations is Friday, December 14 to allow time for the presents to be sorted and wrapped.