The Isle of Man Bank has once again teamed up with The Salvation Army to help provide Christmas presents for local families in need.

Members of the public are being asked to consider buying one extra present and taking it, unwrapped, to any branch of Isle of Man Bank or to ‘Penny’, the mobile bank, before the end of November where it’ll be collected by Salvation Army volunteers. The toys will be distributed to children whose parents are unable to afford presents and who’d otherwise not have anything to open on Christmas morning.

Paul Smith, Managing Director, Isle of Man Bank, commented: “We’re extremely proud to support The Salvation Army with their Christmas Toys Appeal. Over the last 12 years we’ve been overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of our community. Our colleagues are proud to be part of such a wonderful scheme that reminds us all of the true meaning of Christmas.”

The names of families in need of help are referred to The Salvation Army via health and social care agencies, and toys are distributed at Christmas to those families. Some parents feel torn between paying essential bills and buying presents for their children. Thanks to the tremendous generosity of the Manx public, and working in partnership with the Isle of Man Bank, The Salvation Army on the Island tries to relieve some of the pressure on those in need.

The scheme is formally launched on Thursday 02 November. From that date, all Isle of Man Bank branches and Penny, during its regular visits to local communities, will act as collection points for the unwrapped presents.

Photo:

Back row, left to right: Chris Dawson – Athol Street Branch Manager, Isle of Man Bank, Simon Clampton and Carolyn Clampton – Captains of Salvation Army, Sarah Cain – Isle of Man Bank.

Front row, left to right: Raivo Rimicans, Magda Rowinska, Helen Doherty and Jan Carney – Isle of Man Bank.