BIG-HEARTED donors have raised more than £7,000 to go towards Christmas hampers to help poor families across north Essex.

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service is appealing for donations to create more than 120 hampers to deliver in the region.

Led by Les Nicoll, Community Builder at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and his charity North Essex Support Team, the service will deliver hampers containing food, toys and treats for tots and pots and pans.

An initial goal of £2,500 was set on the JustGiving page but they have now raised more than £7,000 with donations still coming in.

Members of the public can donate toys at Clacton and Colchester fire stations.

Mr Nicoll said: “I’m grateful for the support of my colleagues in the fire service, I know they enjoyed their day delivering hampers last year and, like me, found it emotional.

“They made a massive difference to all of those families.

“Our hearts were broken when we discovered several families without a working cooker in their home. Not the odd one, but several families without a working cooker in their home to create wholesome meals for their children.”

In addition to the food hampers, Mr Nicoll is looking to buy gas and electric vouchers so the families can cook their food and keep the house warm as well as a phone top up to enable families to keep in touch with loved ones.

He added: “We have sent out our entire stock of donated cookers and will be using our precious funds to buy at least five more simple electric cookers to meet this need.

“It has been an awful year for us all but living in poverty during this time or living in a flat with no garden, with no good food on the table, isolated from friends and family support, has been harrowing.

“One thing that is keeping me awake at night is if you know a family cannot afford food for Christmas, they certainly cannot afford toys.

“I am asking everybody to consider buying a couple of extra toys and donating them to the families we support.”

Members of staff including chief fire officer Jo Turton will deliver the hampers to families and give fire safety advice, and fit new smoke alarms for those who need it.

Since publication, the number has now jumped to more than £7,000.

To donate money, click here.