THE season of giving is upon us and there are many events happening across Comet country this month to help those less fortunate. If your Christmas wrapping looks like the dog has had a go at it, Sophie Field of Oakfield Avenue, Hitchin is offering a

THE season of giving is upon us and there are many events happening across Comet country this month to help those less fortunate.

If your Christmas wrapping looks like the dog has had a go at it, Sophie Field of Oakfield Avenue, Hitchin is offering a present wrapping service at Waterstone's in the town on December 12 to raise money for Childreach International. Sophie will be there from 10am to 4pm and there is a suggested donation of �1.

Tom Kelsall, who has run the yearly Christmas tree sale at Wymondley Nursing Home in Little Wymondley since 1983, will be raising money for new equipment for the home as well as donating the first �1000 in takings to Help For Heroes in support of wounded service men and women. The trees are on sale from today (Thursday) until Christmas Eve

Staff at the Green Man in Offley are asking visitors to take a tag from their Christmas tree, and return with a present for a homeless child. Each one of the tags represents one of 77 homeless children with details of their age and whether they are a boy or girl. The pub hope to have all presents ready to send by December 15.

Church going friends in Hitchin and Letchworth will be serving morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea at Hitchin's St John's Community Centre, as well as selling cakes, books and crafts this Saturday from 10am to 4pm to raise money for disadvantaged children. Funds will be split between buying books for children at a poor Peruvian church, helping the work of a Russian orphanage, and supporting Christ Inn, a faith-based mental health service in Hitchin.

Chicago Rock Caf�, Jumpin Jaks, and Liquid & Envy on Stevenage Leisure Park are getting behind The Give a Kid a Quid initiative from tomorrow (Friday) until December 31. Staff will be asking clubbers to donate �1 as they pass through the doors to raise money for the Echo Trust - the leisure industry's charity dedicated to helping sick children.