Shoppers help make Christmas special for everyone

Santa jumper, elf ears and a snazzy pair of shorts all added up to the perfect get-up for volunteer Mervyn Ledger as he helped to sort of a mountain of presents this week.

Mervyn was part of the team gathered at the former BHS unit at Parkgate Shopping on Monday to deal with the proceeds of this year’s Parkgate Rother FM Toy Appeal.

Among them was appeal co-ordinator Ann Levick, described by some as the Chief Elf.

Ann, who set up the appeal 20 years ago, said: “People have been enormously generous but then they always are. We should have several hundred presents to hand over to families who will really appreciate them.

“Our volunteers Joyce, Jenny and Mervyn have been involved for about three or four years. Quite simply I could not do my job without them.”

Ann said she had set up the appeal to provide second-hand toys as presents for families on a Rotherham housing estate. “That estate just needed that help,” she said. “From there it has just grown and grown, especially after Parkgate Shopping and Rother FM got involved.”

Hundreds of shoppers over the past month or so have been buying an extra gift and handing it in at Parkgate.

“Without people’s generosity, we couldn’t do it,” added Ann. “It’s all down to the donations of the people of Rotherham.”