One of our deliveries in a previous year

AS Christmas trees go up and the streets are lit with strings of glowing lights, many will feel a warm glow at the prospect of the days ahead spent among family and friends.

Christmas parties, secret Santas, the sound of carol singers at the door: the festive period is for many a time of celebration, warmth and respite from the dark winter days. In the words of that cheesy old festive song, some people wish it could be Christmas every day. But there are others who will withdraw from the sparkling streets to quiet homes, where no one calls or visits even on Christmas Day.

For some people images of smiling families and groups of friends plastered on our bus stops, billboards and television screens serve only as a reminder of loved ones lost or gone. Spare a thought for pensioners who will wake up on Christmas Day alone in a cold and empty house, with only the memories of Christmases past to warm them.

All this is to say the festive period can bring dread as well as joy. Money worries, loneliness, bereavement, illness, feeling overlooked: all this can drain the cheer from the festive season.

And of course the intense commercial pressure to buy more stuff – often stuff we don’t really want or need – can be too much for some.

But Christmas isn’t about accumulating stuff. It’s about community, fostering relation­ships and caring for those who make London what it is today.

That’s why the Islington Tribune has a long history of organising a Christmas appeal.

We collect as much money as people can afford to give to pay for hampers to be delivered to those who may have forgotten we are a community that cares. With your help, we can make sure nobody gets forgotten as the big day approaches.

But we do need your help. We can’t do it without your support. Any donation from a penny upwards will go straight into making Christmas for somebody in your neighbourhood.

Of course, a hamper is not a shiny new smartphone or a brand new BMX for the kids. But, more than that, it is a measure that shows we will always be a borough where people look out for one another.

As well as your donations, perhaps your school, social or sports club, choir or workplace would like to help us? If you have a fundraising idea in mind – or simply want to have a whip-round with your colleagues – please let us know.

Every contribution, big or small, helps towards making someone in need know that others are out there and are looking out for them.

And we will make sure we write about everybody who comes up with a fundraising idea in the coming weeks.

If you know somebody who you think deserves to receive a hamper, email hampers@­islingtontribune.co.uk
Ways to donate: You can send a cheque payable to ‘Islington Tribune Hamper Fund’, Islington Tribune, 40 Camden Road, NW1 9DR, or donate online.

Alternatively, please scan the QR below or call us on 020 7419 9000 and pay by card over the phone.