Charity sees 125 per cent increase in number of Renfrewshire referrals for Christmas gift scheme

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A charity in Paisley which collects new gifts to give to parents and carers for their kids has seen referrals for their service increase by 125 per cent this year.The Salvation Army finished receiving much-needed presents from kind-hearted donors for their Christmas Toy Appeal.Now they are planning exactly where the haul of gifts will go to brighten up Christmas morning for hundreds of children across Renfrewshire.The organisation takes referrals from anyone working with families, including social workers, home link workers, health visitors, churches, Renfrewshire Council and housing associations.And captain Megan Kervin of the Paisley Salvation Army said that, this year, their list of families has grown greatly.She explained that the total number of people from Renfrewshire referred to their scheme has risen from around 800 children in 2022 to more than 1,800 this year.Renfrewshire Live, the new free app dedicated to bringing you around the clock breaking news, is now available to download.Powered by the Paisley Daily Express, Renfrewshire Live is your go-to source for news, features and sport with live coverage provided direct to the app, seven days a week.The dedicated team of experienced journalists, responsible for the publication of the award-winning Express, will focus on breaking news, day and night, across Renfrewshire’s towns and villages.There is also a dedicated St Mirren section that will follow every kick of the ball with the Buddies.Available on both Android and Apple.

Download here: smarturl.it/RenfrewLiveSocial “It’s big numbers this year,” said Megan, who admitted that the cost-of-living crisis is a big factor in the massive increase in referrals.