ACORN Stairlifts hope to bring smiles to thousands of children’s faces this Christmas by backing a major regional appeal.

The company is encouraging people living near its premises in Steeton and Shipley to join in the Radio Aire toy appeal.

The two offices are serving as local collection points for the station’s annual Mission Christmas campaign.

Acorn is an official supporter of the campaign, run by the station’s in-house charity Cash for Kids, to make sure that no child wakes up without a gift on Christmas morning.

Last year’s appeal delivered more than £1 million worth of gifts to over 22,000 children.

Mission Christmas asks its supporters to buy an extra gift suitable for a boy or girl, from babies up to age 18, and donate it to the appeal at a designated collection point.

Once collected, the new and unwrapped gifts are distributed to organisations responsible for the care of children, including Barnados, Social Services, Candlelighters, Martin House Hospice and Bradford Hospital Children’s Charity.

Each organisation will choose gifts suitable for the children in their care, wrap them and distribute them in time for Christmas Day.

Acorn is supporting the appeal by encouraging staff to donate a gift, promoting the appeal through its advertising, and hosting collection points where anyone can leave a donated gift.

Acorn’s in-house graphic design and printing team have also produced posters and flyers to promote the appeal.

They are being distributed to primary schools throughout South Craven, so that children can take one home in their schoolbags, and to other local businesses so employees can also get involved.

Acorn’s UK sales manager Caren Larkman-Ayre said: “Mission Christmas is a fantastic appeal, bringing joy to thousands of children. We’re delighted to get behind it and with more than 500 employees in Steeton and Shipley we should be able to fill a few sleigh loads of toys.”

Lisa Sullivan, charity manager at Cash for Kids, said: “This year we expect to receive a record number of applications and want to be able to help over 23,000 children.”

New and unwrapped gifts, suitable for boys and girls from babies up to age 18, can be dropped off 24 hours a day, seven days a week, before December 12, at Acorn Stairlifts, Telecom House, Millennium Business Park, Station Road, Steeton.

Gifts can also be dropped off Acorn Stairlifts, Spring Mills, Norwood Avenue, Shipley, on weekdays between 9am and 5pm.