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Thursday, November 27, 2014
BRISTOLPOST
Deputy editor
[email protected]
H
ONLINE
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THE ADVICE SQUAD
Still time to
get a place on
Santa’s flight
Katherine Tanko
North Bristol Advice Centre
YOU have until tomorrow evening to apply for one of the seats
of the special Santa Flight from
Bristol Airport.
We have teamed up with the
airport and Thomas Cook to
offer 10 places on the hour-long
trip.
The holiday firm’s jet will fly
from Bristol Airport looking out
for Santa’s elves taking his
sleigh on a test flight.
Father Christmas himself will
be on board the jet taking requests from children for Christmas presents.
We are looking for children to
go on the flight who may have
been through illness or bereavement.
Or youngsters who may have
been through a difficult year for
other reasons.
Emails have been flooding in
Rob Stokes
E took one look one look at
the mountain of toys. Then
with a smile on his face he
said: “Tremendous”.
Bruce Simmonds, who is
chairman of the Lord
Mayor of Bristol’s Children’s Appeal
had called into the Bristol Post to
check on the progress of this year’s
toy appeal.
It runs in parallel with the main
appeal to provide toys for needy children across Bristol.
Mr Simmonds, who is 72, has supported and worked for the appeal for
40 years.
He said: “We really are most grateful to all those generous readers
across the city
who
have
donated toys.
These
will
help
children
who would otherwise
have
missed out.”
People
have
donated cuddly
toys, dolls, board
games, puzzles, books and even bikes
to the appeal.
Mr Simmonds aid these toys would
go to families who are not fortunate
enough to receive vouchers from the
Lord Mayor of Bristol’s Children Appeal.
He said: “We may not be able to give
them all vouchers but we will be able
to give them some toys.”
Mr Simmonds first became involved with the Lord Mayor’s appeal
when he was a member of the Bristol
Round Table in 1974.
He later joined Clifton Rotary Club
and managed to get them and the
Soroptomists to support it.
“It is not just a Christmas appeal, it
goes on all year round,” he said.
Mr Simmonds, who has two
FESTIVE TREAT
● Bruce Simmonds with toys for the Lord Mayor’s appeal at the Bristol Post
“ We really are most
grateful ... These will
help children who
would otherwise have
missed out
grown-up sons and three grand-children, said: “I am passionate about
children.
“I believe that Christmas is such a
wonderful time of year and it’s for
children.
“I feel so upset that there are still
children who live in families who are
unable to provide a worthy Christmas for them.”
Mr Simmonds said although there
is a lot of attention on the appeal at
Christmas it continued all year
round.
He said his wife, Kathy, helped him
a great deal.
Mr Simmonds a chartered accountant works with his sons in a property
management business which he set
up.
He said he hoped contributions
would continue to come in for the toy
appeal.
If you would donate something to
Photo: Dave Betts
the toy appeal please ensure that it is
suitable for a youngster up to the age
of 16.
It can be new or used just so long as
it is in good condition.
Since we launched the toy appeal
dozens of people have come into our
offices in Temple Way.
We have set up a collection point at
our first floor reception area.
Our friends law firm DAC Beachcroft are also collecting toys for appeal. You can hand donations in to
their offices in Portwall Lane. Or you
can drop toys off at a new collection
point in The Entertainer in Cabot
Circus.
from families hoping to get seats
on the aircraft.
Bristol Post editor Mike Norton said: “We have received some
truly touching requests.”
If you would like to nominate
someone for the flight on
Sunday, December 7, please contact us.
You can email Rob Stokes at
[email protected] or write to
Rob Stokes, Santa Flight, c/o
Bristol Post, Temple Way, BristolBS99 7HD.
We will need your name, a
daytime phone number and the
name and age of the youngster
you would like to have a seat as
well as the reason why.
We need to receive your requests by tomorrow night.
BristolAirport will provide
free parking for the families who
are chosen.
But you must be able to fly at
2pm on Sunday, December 7.
Have a great Christmas
without a debt hangover
T
HE festive season is almost
upon us but don’t be tempted
by sparkling window displays and penguin-themed
adverts to go mad on the
spending. Follow our five handy tips
to have a great Christmas without
facing a debt hangover in January!
1 - Start now to work out your
personal budget for Christmas. Be
realistic about how much you can
spend on each person - and stick to it.
Manage expectations of family members as to what you (or Santa) can
give.
2 - Make sure your everyday bills
are covered. Remember that rent,
mortgage, Council Tax, utility and
food bills still need to be paid. Even
though it’s Christmas, remember
your priorities.
3 - If you can, pay for your goods
outright using cash, cheque, or debit
card. Avoid using credit and don’t be
persuaded to take out loans unless
you can afford to repay them – always check how much you’ll pay
back in total as well as the cost of
each instalment. Remember that if
you miss payments on Hire Purchase Agreements, the goods can be
taken back.
4 - Shop around to find the best
price on gifts. You can get great deals
on “pre-loved” toys and other items
on ebay or Gumtree. Consider buying large items from places, like the
Sofa Project, that sell reconditioned
goods at a reasonable price. If you do
buy new, be wary of extended warranties; the cost of a repair could be
less than the cost of the warranty.
5 - Beware of making arrangement
with “loan sharks” – they’ll want
repayment at a very high rate and
you could quickly fall behind on
essential bills. Check that lenders
have a Consumer Credit Licence – if
not, they’re lending money illegally.
That’s it a few simple guidelines to
follow.
Then, when Christmas is over,
think about what worked well and
what didn’t and start planning how
you might do things differently next
year. January is a good time to start
saving for next Christmas; open a
savings account and try saving a
small amount of money each week £4 per week for a year = £208.
If you’re struggling to manage financially, free support and advice is
available from North Bristol Advice
Centre
(www.northbristoladvice.org.uk) or from the main ACFA
advice agencies across the city
(www.advicewest.org.uk). There are
lots of ways we can help so get in
touch today.
North Bristol Advice Centre
provides free, professional, confidential advice, information and representation to the communities of
North Bristol and South Gloucestershire. Tel: 0117 951 5751 Email:
team@northbristoladvice.
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BRISTOLPOST
EPB-E01-S2
EPB-E01-S2
Toy appeal Response praised as
games, books, even bikes donated
Thursday, November 27, 2014
● Favourite spots - Goldbrick House, the M shed and Clevedon Pier
y
bristol
M
Matt Salter, former Bristol
RFC captain, reveals what
he loves about Bristol and
beyond
Name: Matt Salter
Lives: Clapton in Gordano
Favourite festival: Foodie
Festival
Favourite pub: The Royal Oak
in Clifton, which has sadly just
closed. Otherwise the Black
Horse, near where I now live.
Favourite restaurant: I’m a big
fan of Goldbrick House on Park
Street.
Best way to spend a sunny
day: Take a trip to Clevedon and
spend a day on the pier.
Best when it’s raining:
Exploring the M shed
Bristol’s best kept secret? The
Portcullis pub in Clifton Village.
A proper boozer that is off the
beaten track.
What, if anything, does Bristol
need? A Premiership sporting
team and stadium to match.
Sum up Bristol in three words:
Diverse, location, welcoming
● Former Bristol Rugby captain Matt Salter and
pictured in action against Gloucester in 2007
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©LW
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