HUDDERSFIELD families hit by the collapse of hamper firm Farepak may enjoy a brighter Christmas after all.
High street bank HBOS has pledged to donate £2m to help families across the UK who lost their money with the collapse of Farepak last month.
HBOS, which was the banker to Farepak owner European Home Retail, said it was right that it should help those affected.
And Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman has heeded the call by Trade Minister Ian McCartney for MPs to give a day's pay to the Farepak Response Fund set up to help customers hit by the Farepak collapse.
Mr Sheerman will donate a day's pay - about £160 - to the fund. He has also urged big business to make a contribution.
Dozens of Huddersfield families have lost thousands of pounds in the Farepak failure.
Dalton woman Anne Burns - who, with family members, has lost about £12,000 - welcomed the HBOS move and other pledges of support.
She said: "It's amazing how things have turned around in a couple of days. It was all doom and gloom at the weekend, but now there is a glimmer of hope. It is a lot more positive."
Mrs Burns, who was an agent for Farepak, said many of her customers had vowed never to join a Christmas hamper club again.
Christmas hamper supplier Park Group is donating £1m in high street shopping vouchers to the fund. Tesco and Marks & Spencer have each pledged to contribute £250,000, while Morrisons is donating £150,000.
Sainsbury's and John Lewis agreed with Farepak's administrator that customers who were saving for their vouchers should be able to receive 25% of the value of their total savings.
Mr Sheerman said today: "It has been deeply saddening to hear of the losses these families have suffered in the run up to Christmas."
Mr Sheerman has written to the Trade Minister Ian McCartney whose department is investigating
a number of areas of concern surrounding the case.
