A heritage railway project has donated a huge number of gifts to Barnardos to help brighten the Christmasses of vulnerable children.

Among those to benefit will be the children of young parents helped by the Aspire project which supports parents across Wrexham and Flintshire. It encourages them to build self-esteem and resilience through counselling and courses such as the Enjoy Your Baby course.

Liz McGuinness, Commercial Manager of Llangollen Railway said: “Llangollen Railway runs a number of events through the year which are well supported by families. We were saddened to learn that, even today, almost one in three children in Wales is living in poverty.

“We decided to donate some of the toys and games intended for our Santa Special services this year to children who might otherwise not receive a gift at Christmas.

“We chose Barnardo’s as one of the recipients as they believe that a child’s future should never be defined by their past.”

Jane Smith, co-ordinator of the Barnardo’s Cymru Aspire project said: “We are delighted about the donation as we know what a positive impact the gifts will have on the lives of the children and young people we support.

“In this current climate of austerity we recognise the considerable stress and financial hardship young parents experience at Christmas. This donation will be so gratefully received by those we help.”