Blackburn Secret Santa has had another successful giveaway this year helping another 1,000 families in need in Blackburn with Darwen.

Each year, Secret Santa aims to deliver a sack full of presents to 1,000 Blackburn with Darwen children who live in poverty or are in need of extra help.

The community interest company (CIC), formed in 2017 by Phil and Karen Boulding, once again asked for support in its annual task of delivering a sack full of presents to children, completing its target before Christmas Day 2023.

A total of 7,000 gifts have been delivered to children across the borough, including visitors at Royal Blackburn Hospital and Ivy Street Community Centre.

Managing director of Secret Santa, Phil Boulding, said: "Secret Santa is run by a couple of 63-year-olds and a handful of critically important volunteers.

"We punch massively above our weight and do things year after year that quite honestly we should not be capable of doing, and yet we do.

"We have a superpower, the power of human kindness. There are hundreds of people out there that at different times of the year enable us and support us to do what we do.

"Whether it is giving out away 1,000+ eggs at Easter, hundreds of Eid gift bags, or helping bring together the elderly and lonely with parties, our premier offering is the Christmas presents.

"We needed to collect 7,000 different gifts and for 2023, we were able to make the sacks up once again."

Every year, Phil and Karen and their band of elves task themselves to get 1,000 sacks of presents to children across the borough from donations of up to £15,000.

Phil continued: "The toys went to sick children in the hospital, to disabled children and to disadvantaged children across the borough.

"Individuals have helped us, small and large businesses have helped us, and together we have completed the mammoth task once again.

"This year though, there was one very special and sad donation that came in the memory of a well-loved lady called Jennifer Marsden and this donation alone helped us dramatically."

A JustGiving page has also raised more than £8,000 for Secret Santa, in memory of Jennifer Marsden, who supported the cause before she died.

Jennifer, originally from Lower Darwen, died on October 20 after suffering two cardiac arrests.

She had wanted to make a contribution to the charity this year to help the Secret Santa 2023 Christmas appeal.

Their original aim was to raise £500, and has now raised more than £8,000 to help Secret Santa give disadvantaged children in Blackburn with Darwen a Christmas to remember.