Donate a gift and make Christmas special for hundreds of disadvantaged youngsters.

This is the plea being issued by the Mayor of Tunbridge Wells, Cllr Mike Rusbridge, who has just launched his annual toy appeal.

Eighteen businesses and organisations across the borough have already signed up to help collect and store all the new toys, books and games that are donated.

Cllr Mike Rusbridge, said: "I have always thought of Christmas as being a very special time of year for families and I warmly embrace this opportunity to make sure that those children who don’t share the usual abundance of presents are brought into the fold.

"I think all children have the right to feel special at this time of year and I would like to thank Royal Victoria Place for providing the Giving Tree to act as a visual reminder for visitors to think of others at this festive time and to Big Yellow for providing space to store and wrap the toys."

When collected the gifts will be handed out to families in need within the borough of Tunbridge Wells. The final date to hand in donations is Saturday 13 December.

For anyone wanting to donate toys, books, games, toiletries, cds, baby gifts, wrapping paper, sellotape, batteries etc, the collection points are:

AXA/PPP Healthcare, Vale Road and Crescent Road, Tunbridge Wells

Baldwins Travel Agency Ltd, 27 Grosvenor Road, Tunbridge Wells

Barsley’s, 16 Commercial Road, Paddock Wood

Big Yellow Self-Storage, Longfield Road, Tunbridge Wells

Jempons-Budgens, Rye Road, Hawkhurst

Johnson of Sandhurst, Back Road, Sandhurst

Kent Libraries in Pembury and Southborough

Nat West Branches, Mount Pleasant, St John’s Road, Pembury and Southborough

Sainsbury’s, Linden Park Road, Tunbridge Wells

St George’s Community Children’s Project Ltd, 7 Chilston Road, Tunbridge Wells

The Camden Centre, Market Square, Royal Victoria Place, Tunbridge Wells

The Giving Tree, Royal Victoria Place Shopping Centre, Tunbridge Wells

Tourist Information Centre, The Old Fish Market, The Pantiles

Town & County Housing Group, Monson House, Monson Way, Tunbridge Wells

Tunbridge Wells Gateway, 8 Grosvenor Road, Tunbridge Wells

Tunbridge Wells Sports Centre, St John’s Road, Tunbridge Wells

Weald Information Centre, The Old Fire Station, Cranbrook