SELFLESS staff from Sellafield Ltd have donated piles of toys, gifts and food to charities across the town in time for Christmas.

This year Sellafield’s offices in Risley and Daresbury collected for three causes – Warrington Borough Council’s neighbourhoods team, Home-Start Warrington and Room At The Inn.

The donations will be distributed accordingly to improve Christmas for families and individuals in need of a little extra help.

The collection was organised by community liaison officer Pauline Deans.

She said: “We have been running the Christmas challenge at the Warrington offices for many years but this year we wanted to be proactive and find out what these organisations really needed to support our community.

“The charities wanted very specific items for our staff to donate, so we set off the collection early, on November 6.

“We had a tremendous response and it made sure that we collected everything the charities had requested.

“The charities were overwhelmed with everyone’s generosity.

“Some of our staff got to speak to the people who work with these vulnerable families, which gave them a real understanding of the difference each of us can make in our community.

“I’m just glad that children in our area can wake up on Christmas morning to a gift under the Christmas tree thanks to everyone’s generosity.”

The council’s neighbourhoods team asked for toys for children of all ages.

They were picked up from the offices by Barbara Parratt.

She said: “This gift is humbling, amazing.

“It will make a huge difference because children will receive something they can treasure for Christmas.

“For us, it’s not just a gift to help make a Christmas for the families we support, it’s part of us helping and working with a family to ensure they get the support in terms of debt and deprivation.

“It is sad that in such a vibrant and strong town there are still families who have these problems.

“Our goal is to make sure people need this service just once.”

More than 1,200 people work directly for Sellafield in Warrington, with thousands more involved in the supply chain. Work includes designing and planning major projects to clear up the nuclear site in Cumbria.