Gemma Atkinson has spoken about feeling emotional as a parent as she helps other families this Christmas. Mother-of-one Gemma completed a trolley dash around B&M in Belle Vue with her Hits Radio drivetime show co-host Mike Toolan as they launched the annual Cash for Kids' Mission Christmas.
The charity Cash for Kids works with Hits Radio to raise funds for disadvantaged children in Greater Manchester, and its Mission Christmas, in partnership with B&M, helps Santa to reach children living in poverty. People are invited to take a new and unwrapped gift to a drop-off point, donate cash or gifts online or sign up to do some fundraising, and organisations helping children and families can apply for gifts.
Gemma and Mike piled up their trolleys with toys at B&M, and everything will go to local kids who wouldn’t otherwise be waking up to a Christmas present. This year, with the cost-of-living crisis pushing families into financial difficulties, the charity is expecting record levels of requests for help this year.
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Former Emmerdale and Hollyoaks star Gemma, who has been part of the mission for six years while at Manchester's Key 103 and Hits Radio, told us: "Already, we've had 36,000 applications. Every single year people in Manchester rally around. It's that worker bee mentality.
"There is one in three families living in poverty in Mancheser and that's quite shocking. One in three is too much. This is already the most applications we've had before launch. People are reaching out to us already."
Gemma, who has a three-year-old daughter Mia with her fiance Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Gorka Marquez, said: "As a mum myself I don't think there's anything more upsetting than your child not having presents to open on Christmas Day."
She added: "You want your child to be healthy and happy with surprises and Christmas music. For a lot of people it's such a simple thing, but for many it's do they have Christmas dinner or a toy?"
Gemma recently found a giant toy elf for Mia at the bargain store, which she has named after her favourite Strictly celeb contestant this year who she's cheering on as well as her papa Gorka and his dance partner Helen Skelton. "I was at B&M and got a massive Christmas elf which Mia has named Will the elf after Will Mellor. She's obsessed with him," she laughed.
Gemma also lifted the lid on her Christmas plans and festive blunder as she looks forward to spending time with Gorka after his stint on the BBC dance contest with former Blue Peter presenter Helen, and she says she definitely won't be doing the cooking.
"I attempted it once and everyone sat down to cold sprouts," she admitted. Gemma says her mum will be cooking Christmas dinner and then they will be heading to Spain to see Gorka's family. "I'm looking forward to watching Christmas films and living in joggers," she said.
In Manchester people can take gifts to the Mission Christmas HQ in Cheadle or to a local B&M store. If they can’t get to a drop-off point then they can also make a cash donation and Mission Christmas will purchase a gift on their behalf. Click here to donate online. And to find out your nearest drop off point and to make an application visit hitsradio.co.uk/mission.
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