“Overwhelming” support has been given to ‘Santa’s Toy Bank’ in Ely which is now set to return to the city next year.
Creator Ely City councillor Peter Harris, has decided to run Santa’s Toy Bank again next Christmas after receiving “simply overwhelming” support for the idea that collected toy donations for families in need to collect from St Mary’s Church, Ely. 
He said: “I wanted nothing more than to bring joy and happiness to children’s lives at a time when their parents, for one reason or another, are going through challenging times.
“The Toy Bank has proved to me, beyond all doubt, that we have here in Ely a pretty special community.” 
With half a dozen volunteer elves by his side, parents collected gifts on December 20 and 21. 
Some families who were unable to travel from nearby villages even received gift deliveries from the elves themselves.
Remaining toys were shared between East Anglian Children’s Hospices, the East Anglian Women’s Refuges and the Ely Contact Centre.
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