A TOWER of shoeboxes filled with Christmas gifts has been donated to Helping Victims of Domestic Violence by HEALS Malmesbury.

HEALS has been a collection point for the appeal which has run across Wiltshire gathering hundreds of boxes for victims of domestic violence.

The 71 boxes full of toys and gifts collected in Malmesbury will be given to people fleeing domestic violence so that they and their children have something this Christmas.

HEALS Manager Alison Cross-Jones said:  “We’ve been instrumental in helping HVDV in getting off the ground.

“A lot of the people who they are trying to help are also the people we want to help. Really we’re just helping people in different ways.

Alison also paid tribute to the team of young volunteers who design HEALS’ newsletter and who came in to help arrange the window display.

“They were coming in for a meeting from seven till nine and they came in at four and they worked solidly from four till seven doing that window.”

Mayor of Malmesbury Sue Poole thanked HEALS for their work an described the response as Malmesbury pulling together.

She added: “I’m just blown away by the generosity of Malmesbury people. It’s wonderful to see, isn’t it?”

Chairman of Helping Victims of Domestic Violence Kevin Thorne thanked HEALS for their support during the appeal and explained how much of a difference the boxes would make.

He said: “It gives them that control back which what they don’t have in their lives. This appeal shows them that HEALS cares and that the community cares.”

In part due to the success of this appeal HEALS will also be taking part in an Easter egg appeal in Spring, aiming to collect hundreds of chocolate eggs for local people in need.