A FUNDRAISER has been launched to help keep the Christmas spirit alive and well at the end of this year.

Alexandra Maguire Rippon was just recently given a community hero award for her relentless efforts to bring smiles to faces of people in the city.

Despite suffering many heart-breaks herself, such as losing her baby daughter and later losing her 38-year-old husband David to cancer, with her dad passing away in the same year, Alexandra has, for many years, put others before herself.

And Christmas time is also an important part of the Caia Park resident's yearly schedule of activities to spread some joy.

Last December, Alexandra was out and about sharing plenty of festive cheer on her Christmas-themed mobility scooter. 

She handed out nearly 100 selection boxes full of chocolates to children while dressed as 'Mother Christmas'.

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And this year, she plans to do the same, but is appealing for help from fellow Wrexham residents.

Alexandra, who relies on her scooter to get around due to having arthritis and neuropathy nerve damage, has set up a fundraiser for people to donate even just the smallest amounts towards her cause.

She is aiming to raise £2,000 via her fundraiser - which can be donated to here - in order to continue putting smiles on faces this Christmas time.

Alexandra said: "For years now, I have dressed up on many occasions like Christmas, dressed up as mother Christmas, and bought hundreds of selection boxes. [I] decorate my mobility scooter and hand out selection boxes to all the children of the town, which puts a smile on their faces.

"I also do the same for Easter, dress up as the easter bunny and buy hundreds of Easter eggs and hand them out as well and I do the same for Halloween, by decorating my garden and making over 400 sweet cones for all the trick or treaters."

She added that she has decided to set up the fundraiser due to the rise in costs of chocolates.

She said: "I am struggling now as cost of living and prices of sweets and chocolates have gone up so much more now, so I am asking for help this time.

"That's something I never thought I would ever have to do but a lot of people have told me not to be ashamed to ask for help. So, I am now asking for help - even the smallest amount counts."