THE GLASGOW Times is just days away from releasing our paper donation bags for our third Bank on Us campaign.

The appeal aims to help save Christmas for families struggling to cover the cost of the festive period by pledging to help put a gift under every child’s tree.

Last year, our readers raised a staggering £15,000 and delivered around 100,000 toys to disadvantaged youngsters throughout the city.

Our bid to make the festive wishes of Glasgow's children come true would be entirely impossible without the help of our kind-hearted readers and our wonderful sponsors.

The 2021 Bank on Us toy drive appeal is being sponsored by three organisations that have pledged to do all they can to support our cause.

READ MORE: Glasgow Times toy appeal back to save Xmas

They are Storage Vault storage company, the Emmie Smilie Charity Foundation, and the Pandamonium Play Centre.

Storage Vault, which is part of the CoVault family, is our longest-running sponsor, working with the Glasgow Times since the launch of our Bank on Us foodbank plea in 2019.

The company has graciously acted as our very own Santa Claus delivering food parcels and toys to charities, schools, and nurseries throughout two previous appeals.

This year, staff from the firm will don their Christmas jumpers once again and get back behind the wheel to transport goods donated by our wonderful readers across the city - ensuring the toys arrive safely in the hands of families prior to Christmas Eve.

Anthony McAteer, the firm's managing director, said he was “absolutely delighted” to have joined the campaign once again.

He said: “We are very excited to support the Glasgow Times once again in their Bank On Us initiative for 2021.

"This is a fantastic program, which does an incredible job of uplifting local communities in Scotland.

"As a Scottish organisation, we appreciate the invaluable work of the Bank On Us campaign, and are proud to join the Glasgow Times in their campaign to give every child a memorable Christmas this year.”

The Emmie Smillie Charity Foundation is one of our newest sponsors to the 2021 appeal.

The charity was set up by Emmie’s family around four years ago - two years after she lost her brave battle to cancer at just 34-years-old.

READ MORE: Glasgow Times toy plea helps save Christmas

Described as a “Glasgow girl with the most infectious smile”, Emmie’s heartbroken family were left completely devastated by her death in 2015.

However, they knew their tragic experience was, sadly, not unique and vowed to help others going through the gruelling journey in any way they could.

Since its inception, the charity has raised tens of thousands of pounds for other organisations battling the disease and hospices, such as the Kilbryde Hospice.

Now, the charity is joining forces with the Glasgow Times to help families give children a magical festive period.

A spokesperson for the charity said: “The Emmie Smillie Charity Foundation is absolutely delighted to be helping make the Christmas wishes of children come true.

“Just a few years ago, our own toy drive had around £1million worth of toys, which were delivered to children across the city, so we’re really glad to be able to help again.

“We just really try to help anyone we can and we know this can be a difficult time of year so, it’s great for us to be involved.”

Our final sponsor for this year’s campaign is the popular Pandamonium Play Centre in Erskine.

The children’s entertainment centre, which features a large soft play area and a nursery, opened in November 2012 and is one of the lucky sites to have survived the coronavirus pandemic which forced the closure of many play sites due to tough restrictions.

Parents and carers visiting the venue with little ones will be able to take their filled Bank on Us bags along from December 3.

Staff will be joining the Glasgow Times team of elves to help collect donations from customers which will be transported to toy banks and charities in the surrounding areas - providing a handy drop off point for those in Erskine.

Director Alan Arnott said: "We got involved really just to help out the less fortunate kids.

"We've got the play centre and the nursery so, we've always dealt in kids - that's been the business over the last 10 years and it's just nice to help out.

"We've been shut for a year and a half so we've really just opened recently and we're getting back into things. It's been such a difficult year. Everybody's been a bit flat in general, even the people who can afford to buy Christmas presents so it's nice to help those who can't."

The GoFundMe page can be found here.