THE PRESS has joined forces with West Fife charity SHIELD to help deliver gifts to children across our community who may otherwise go without this Christmas.

We've teamed up with a number of caring West Fife businesses so that, in next week's copy of the Press (December 17), we'll be giving out a free donation bag, which we're asking you to fill with toys for the a. ppeal which will go directly to less well-off kids and families in our towns and villages.

The Press backed the launch of the SHIELD toy appeal on our front page on November 12 and volunteers have been amazed by the generous spirit of our readers so far.

But we're hoping our donation bag initiative will help save Christmas for even more West Fife kids.

The Press knows just how community-spirited West Fife is so we're counting on YOU to gift a toy to families who are really feeling the pinch this season during an unprecedented year.

After sharing the news that the Press will be including donation bags for readers, SHIELD founder Sarah Keeble said: "That's so amazing!

"The Press, our community and local businesses have never failed to amaze me this year – it's absolutely brilliant.

"We're overwhelmed at how much the local paper has supported us this year from when we set up at the start of the pandemic all the way to what we've achieved now.

"These toys will go to people that really need them.

"There are people who are falling through the cracks and have never faced anything like this before and they need help.

"There is going to be a lot of happy kids but, more so, a lot of relieved parents who will be levitated from a lot of stress.

"We have got so many hands on deck with this project so we're ready to respond to the public's generous donations."

SHIELD was set up at the beginning of the March lockdown and is a self-funded group relying on food and financial donations from the public.

As well as the Christmas appeal, they deliver food parcels, click and collect, home-cooked meals, clothing bank, and education bank items.

The group's focus is pensioners and any working families struggling with furlough life, shielding individuals with no help, recently unemployed, pregnant women, individuals who have key workers and who need food and other supplies.

Along with their toy appeal, they are also helping initiate other ways to help this Christmas, including donating to a community fund to pay for activities for children throughout the year, delivering Christmas dinner meals and hampers for pensioners.

"It's really exciting to see what more the West Fife community will do with the help of the Press," Sarah added.

"It's been a huge success so far with people bringing in a Nintendo, laptops and a bike – it's just incredible.

"This is a first for the Press and our first Christmas so I'm so pleased we can do this together.

"The staff at the Dunfermline Press have done a great job in such a demanding a year at championing the community.

"Their paper is always filled with community spirit and I know that the Press has been a huge part of the group and its success – we will never forget that.

"When people have come to us we know it's because of the work the paper does to highlight SHIELD.

"We're looking forward to seeing what happens next week!"

Press editor Simon Harris said: "The Press has always been at the heart of the West Fife community and we will always be grateful to our readers who have stuck by us and supported us throughout the pandemic. Sales of the paper remain at the level they were prior to the pandemic and that is testament to your support as many other titles across the newspaper industry have suffered a huge loss of copies during COVID.

"For our part, we are here to be a voice for West Fife and will always seek to champion the best in our community, whether it's the Community Champions Awards or groups such as SHIELD – Sarah and her team of volunteers have been incredible throughout the pandemic.

"We are pleased to be able to play a small part in helping Sarah to help those in our community who need it most this Christmas and are grateful to the generous businesses who have helped to support this initiative.

"It's been a hard year for all families and time is scarce at this time of year but please try to pop some toys in the bag that will be provided in next week's paper and drop them off at the venues below."

You can hand in your donations to Fife College's Halbeath Campus where SHIELD have their premises.

Fife College are happy for the public to drop off at the main office but you can also drop off at the cottage campus.

Volunteers will be there from Monday-Friday, 9.30am-7pm, and on a Saturday from 11-4pm.

If you're unsure of where to go, message SHIELD on their Facebook page; https://www.facebook.com/groups/shielduk.org OR call 07494 561025.

The toy appeal is currently lacking in gifts for teenagers so SHIELD would be grateful for more donations for that category.