Councillor Kathryn Rooney is hoping to make double the difference with her Christmas toy appeal this year, with gifts being collected for both hard-up families in County Durham and youngsters orphaned by the Ukrainian war.
Kathryn, who was one of seven people who travelled from Consett to Wroclaw in Poland to volunteer at an orphanage in the summer has launched her third appeal as hard-up families prepare for a difficult winter - but says the cost of living crisis is having a big impact on donations this year.
"People have always been generous, but this year there is a marked decline in the volume of toys coming in for the appeal," said Kathryn, who represents Consett North on Durham County Council. "This time last year, I was coming home to 40-50 Amazon parcels every day from generous donors. This year, it's just not happening. It's sad that the very year we probably need the donations the most is the year that people have cut back the hardest."
