Christmas is a time for giving and Essex Police wants to brighten Christmas for vulnerable children who may otherwise receive little or nothing.
And we are appealing to our communities to help us make this happen by donating small gifts which we can pass on to those who will benefit the most.
Whether you want to shop online and send in your gift or bring an unwrapped present to one of our police stations, we hope we’ve made it easy for you to take part.
Last year we received more than 10,000 presents in just over a fortnight.
Here’s how you can help
Buy your gift and deliver it to one of our police stations. Remember it must be unwrapped and suitable for a child from newborn up to the age of 17.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept second-hand presents and all donations must be unwrapped.
But, if you want to donate wrapping paper for our officers and staff to wrap your present, that would be welcome, too.
Or you can order online and get your present delivered straight to your local police officers.
For details of your district’s Christmas activities, check out the list below and click on the link to visit their Facebook page, which will have details of their local appeal, plus their deadline. Some have launched already; some will launch later this month.
Colchester www.facebook.com/EPColchester
Colchester Police Station CO3 3BU – open 9am to 5pm seven days a week