THE Christmas spirit arrived early for youngsters when they were treated to a festive party.

Richard House Hospice in Beckton was transformed into a winter wonderland getting everyone into the festive spirit for the under-13s.

The annual event gave the children, young people and parents the chance to meet over food, games and quizzes.

It also saw the launch of Richard House’s Sponsor-a-Child Appeal.

Peter Ellis, chief executive, said: “We’re asking people to do something different this Christmas and sponsor a Richard House child. A one-off donation can be made from as little as �3.

“We rely on donations to continue our work with children and young people with life-threatening conditions or complex healthcare needs. Each year we need to raise at least �3.1million to continue operating.

“Our services range from music therapy to cooking sessions.”

If you would like to find out more, visit www.richardhouse.org.uk.