The Salvation Army has announced it will extend its seventh successive ‘Pass the Parcel’ Christmas gift appeal to include the elderly and homeless.

|TOP|Pass the Parcel, which previously appealed to the public only for gifts for children, will be launched live on ITV1’s This Morning on Monday 14 November.

The gift appeal is run in partnership with healthcare retailer Superdrug, where members of the public can drop off a new gift, unwrapped, for a child, elderly or homeless person between 14 November and Sunday 11 December.

The local Salvation Army will collect and distribute the donated gifts to people in need through its own network, as well as local groups and social services.

“Pass the Parcel is a fantastic way to make a difference in someone’s life at Christmas. We’re thrilled to be working with The Salvation Army again, and this year we’re not just helping children,” said This Morning presenter Fern Britton.

“Children aren’t the only people who can miss out at Christmas time and it’s important that our elderly and homeless people have a happy Christmas too,” she said.

The Salvation Army recommended toiletries, socks, gloves, handkerchiefs and hot water bottles among the gifts for elderly and homeless people, but also appealed to the public not to neglect the children.

“Many families linked with local partner agencies such as single-parent support networks and family centres have come to rely on the toys donated through Pass the Parcel, so it is important that the bulk of items donated are gifts for children aged 0 – 16,” says Major Bill Cochrane from The Salvation Army.

“Each year we are amazed at the generosity of the public, but we would ask people not to forget the teenagers, particularly the boys, who sometimes tend to get left out of such appeals.”

The Salvation Army also asked the public not to donate food items or used products.