If you are still looking for last minute Christmas presents, you could consider supporting a local charity by turning a donation into a lasting gift that will make a difference.

That’s the message from local children’s charity Richard House, based in Beckton. London’s oldest children’s hospice, supports 300 families across east and north-east London whose children and young adults have life-limiting and complex healthcare needs.

Many people chose to donate online, but this year the charity is also offering the option of purchasing a ‘virtual gift’. Individual gifts, which range from £5 to £50, include music therapy sessions and cinema trips for children and a multi-sensory room session. The person donating will receive a gift certificate.

The charity is also asking people to help give a new home to unwanted presents. Anyone can take a present that wasn’t on their wish list to one of their seven charity shops where it can be sold to raise vital cash for the hospice.

Maria Barry, Director of Income Generation at Richard House, said: “You can put those unwanted Christmas presents to good use by simply popping into one of our shops. It’s a much better way to use any presents that were not quite right for you, rather than leaving them to languish in a drawer!”

You can find out more about purchasing a virtual gift at www.richardhouse.org.uk/virtual-gifts

You can drop your unwanted presents at Richard House retail shops in Dagenham Heathway, Dagenham Green Lane, Romford, Barking, Elm Park, Hornchurch and Upminster.

For exact details about the location, opening hours and contact number, visit http://www.richardhouse.org.uk/retail