ANOTHER generous business is helping to ensure that needy children will have a present to open this Christmas.

The Allen Leisure Group is the latest business to get involved with the 15th annual Dorset Echo Christmas Toy Appeal.

Last year, the appeal raised an amazing £4,500 for underprivileged children in the area, and we hope to raise even more this year.

This is the first year the Weymouth-based Allen Leisure Group, which started up in 2013, has got involved with the appeal.

Chris Allen, director, said: “I have worked as a coach in the area for a long time and have done a lot of work with children, and I thought this would be a brilliant opportunity to give something back.

“Part of my experience working as a coach has been working with disadvantaged children and to me something like this for children is really important, I think it is a really worthwhile cause.

“We are really proud to be a part of it.”

How to donate to the toy appeal: We are looking for 30 businesses to donate £100 each for our appeal.

This has been amazingly successful in previous years and has been the main way that the toy appeal has been able to provide so many toys and gifts to needy children.

Each donation is gratefully received and all those donating £100 will be featured in the Echo.

To donate £100 call Debbie Hellaby on 01305 830815 or email debbie.hellaby@dorsetecho.co.uk For further information on the Toy Appeal, visit dorsetecho.co.uk/Christmas/ toy_appeal

WHERE TO DONATE

Toy bins have been distributed to dozens of shops and businesses in Weymouth, Portland, Bridport and Dorchester:

Asda, Weymouth, Bridport and Lyme Regis News, Bridport, The Co-op, Easton, Portland, Dorset Echo, Dorchester, Dorset Echo, Granby Industrial Estate, Weymouth, Goulds Garden Centre, Littlemoor, Howleys Toymaster, Weymouth, Howleys Toymaster Lego shop, Weymouth, Howleys Toymaster pre-school shop, Weymouth, Morrisons, Bridport, Morrisons, Weymouth, Sea Life Adventure Park, Weymouth, Tesco, Dorchester, Tesco, Weymouth, Toymaster, Bridport, Toymaster, Dorchester, Value House, Weymouth, WH Smith, Dorchester, WH Smith, Weymouth, Wilko, Weymouth, Daniels Fish and Chips, Littlemoor, Daniels Fish and Chips, Abbotsbury Road, Daniels Fish and Chips, Wyke Regis, Tesco, Portland, Boots, Weymouth, Boots, Dorchester, Fish and Fritz, Weymouth.