Christmas: Hundreds of vulnerable Portsmouth children given special presents for festive holidays

Portsmouth City Council (PCC) asked its key suppliers to send gifts to charities so they can be given to those less fortunate. Donations have been made by 14 companies and will be passed on to non profit organisations such as The Roberts Centre and any families subsequently.

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Carole Damper, CEO of The Roberts Centre, said: “These presents will make a huge difference to children across the city. It's often taken for granted that children will have a gift to open on Christmas Day but not all of them would without this kind of support and we're so grateful to the council and the companies it works with for these donations."

Leader of PCC, councillor Steve Pitt, said initiatives like this follow the local authority’s commitment to supporting communities in the city. He added: “I'm delighted we've been able to provide presents for so many children in Portsmouth. We've made a point of encouraging every company we work with to support local communities wherever possible; these Christmas presents are a fantastic addition to that, and I'd like to thank everyone who has got involved."

The companies which donated presents to charities include Wightman & Parrish, Mountjoy, Comserv, Future Water (A joint Mackley and Jones Bros. Venture), FR Consultants, DM Habens, MLL Telecom, LST Projects, Purkiss, CES, Vale and ETEC.