Crawley school girl collects 373 presents for Horsham Salvation Army Toy Appeal

The Salvation Army in Horsham is once again helping hundreds of families in need this Christmas in Horsham and surrounding areas. It will provide toys and gifts for children, a treat for parents and a voucher to provide Christmas dinner for the whole family.

This year, the church and charity have helped nearly 360 families and made a difference to more than a thousand people across the area.

Heeta, from Crawley, set herself a target of sourcing 200 gifts and she set about putting together marketing materials to spread the word to other people. Heeta created a video and a PowerPoint which helped her explain what she needed and why. Heeta was delighted with the results and a few weeks later, she was able to deliver 373 presents to Major Iain Stewart at The Salvation Army.

Majors Ann and Iain Stewart, who lead The Salvation Army in Horsham, and their team of volunteers, have been working tirelessly to meet demand following referrals from local schools and support agencies. However, they would not have been able to help so many families without such a high level of donations from local people.

Major Iain said: “Heeta is a shining example of the way local people step up every year to join The Salvation Army in helping make Christmas a time of joy for people who might otherwise have been unable to celebrate. We’re really grateful for her enterprise and support.”

The Salvation Army in Horsham, located on Booth Way near Horsham station is inviting the local community to come along to an outdoor (indoor if the weather is bad) carol service in its car park starting at 16.30 on December 24. Carols in the Car Park gives local people a chance to enjoy singing carols with a Salvation Army brass band while listening to the Christmas story.

After a short rest, preparations for Christmas 2023 begin in earnest in January when Iain and Ann will start to look for low-cost opportunities to stock up for next year’s present appeal.

See more: The Oaks Primary School and Nursery Christmas Productions, Crawley Christmas market 2022: Here are 10 pictures from the historic high street, Spotted:Crawley hosts Christmas lunch for vulnerable residents of the town with huge success

Donations can be made through the JustGivingpage: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/horsham-sa2. Alternatively, cheques can be made payable to 'The Salvation Army'.