HOMELESS people were given a bit of festive cheer with the donation of gifts from staff at a housing association.

Kind-hearted staff at Sanctuary Group, based in Worcester, donated 380 gifts to charity Maggs Day Centre for the second year in a row.

They collected a range of much-needed goodies including canned goods, pasta, biscuits, coffee, toiletries and pet food.

Amanda Gonsalves, Sanctuary Group’s director of HR, visited Maggs to hand over the collection to the centre. She said: “As well as buying gifts for our friends and families, Christmas is a time for thinking of those who may be less fortunate than us.

“We are delighted to be supporting this worthwhile service for the second year running.”

Maggs Day Centre is an open-door, free-access day centre in Worcester, catering for anyone who is homeless or in need of further support.

Maggs team leader Steve Glazzard said: “In this challenging economic environment, with homelessness on the increase, Maggs Day Centre relies on the goodwill of individuals and organisations such as Sanctuary Group.

“Without their kind donations, helping the homeless would be a much more difficult task.”