Postal staff have been busy raising donations and spreading the spirit of Christmas around the island this year.

Post Office staff members have delivered more than 2,000 Christmas cards from Santa to children across the island, as well as raise funds for Save the Children and Hospice Isle of Man.

Postman Steve Cooke paid a special visit to Hopes and Dreams Nursery to personally deliver replies from Father Christmas.

The nursery children had previously visited the Douglas Delivery Office when they each received the Post Office’s ’Twelve Days of Christmas’ cards to post to Santa.

Chairman of the Post Office’s sponsorship committee Niall Carey said: ’Christmas is a wonderful time of peace and happiness, and also a time to remember others who are less fortunate than us.

’We are pleased to continue our tradition of supporting worthy causes.’

This year the committee is backing Save the Children Festival of Trees, National Christmas Jumper Day and Hospice Isle of Man Christmas Tree Collection.

The Post Office has produced an installation entitled ’Twelve Days of Christmas’ this year, at the Save the Children Festival of Trees, which is is currently being held at Ronaldsway Airport. This annual event, which encourages businesses and organisations on the island to put up a display, aims to generate awareness and raise funds to support vulnerable children in the UK and around the world.

The Post Office’s display is made up of storage boxes that are stacked to resemble a Christmas tree and is decorated with the festive stamp collection, which represent the Twelve Days of Christmas.

Airport passengers are encouraged to vote for their favourite decorated tree before the winners are announced on January 20, as well as give a donation towards Save the Children.

On December 15, the Post Office’s employees also donned Christmas jumpers and collected £200 for Save the Children.

This year the organisation is supporting the Hospice Isle of Man Christmas Tree Collection scheme.

For a donation of £10, members of the public can have their Christmas trees collected and made into compost for Hospice Isle of Man’s gardens.

To take part in this scheme, residents can complete the online form: www.hospice.org.im/xmas-tree

trees

Trees must be in front of participants’ homes by 7am on Saturday, January 6.

The Post Office sponsorship committee aims to support a variety of local initiatives throughout the year.

Requests for sponsorship can be made in writing to the sponsorship committee at the Post Office headquarters.