Machynlleth’s Taj Mahal Community Hub Christmas Hampers are returning this year and they need your donations.

Last year the Hwb gave 10 local families in need Christmas hampers complete with fresh meat and veg, sweets and presents.

This year the Hwb are hoping to reach even more families “who might need extra help to have a great Christmas”.

The initiative, originally started by Angela Hustings of Dyfi Valley Antiques, needs your support with donations of cash, food, toys, clothes for babies and children and winter coats for children of all ages.

Sandra Bendelow, Hwb Coordinator, said: “Christmas is a financially demanding time and we know that a lot of families really struggle and often get themselves into debt to deliver the best Christmas for their family.

“This year we want to do even more.”

Angela passed the project on after it had grown into a community-wide affair, involving many businesses and working with Advice Mid Wales and the Food Bank to identify those in need.

The Bro Ddyfi Food Bank based at the Hwb will also be providing hampers to three families without a referral from an outside agency.

The Hwb’s Baby Bank will contribute to the hampers this year, having grown as word has spread.

Poppy Denton, Baby Bank manager, said it supports families from Tywyn to Aberystwyth: “As people learned of the bank, we have had more requests for items up to 11 years and so have expanded our donation requests and started a table-top clothing and school uniform swap event at Hwb.

“We invite people in the community to help themselves to baby and kids clothes regardless of circumstance, as well as to bring items of clothing to donate, to keep the local sharing economy alive and help those feeling the impact of the cost of living crisis.”

To donate to the hamper project visit the Hwb or bring cash to Miscellanea on Penrallt Sreet.

The Hwb will also host a Christmas Table Top from 3pm during Machynlleth’s Shop Late evening on 30 November, encouraging swaps and reuse of clothing, toys and coats.