The café at St Peter's Hospital is aiming to give a record-breaking number of Christmas hampers to elderly or vulnerable people this winter, and needs residents' help to make this happen.

Julie Taylor, who runs the café on Spital Road in Maldon, has pledged to deliver 130 Christmas hampers to residents across the Maldon district - which includes Burnham-on-Crouch and the Dengie - after donating 100 hampers last year.

She is particularly looking for tinned food, mini Christmas cakes and small bars of chocolate for the hampers at the moment.

She said: "The hampers go to lonely elderly and vulnerable people.

"They are distributed by staff at the café, district nurses, community agents and people leaving St Peter's ward over Christmas."

Julie is also looking for shoeboxes or baskets - ideally wrapped - to create each hamper.

The hampers include the following items:

- Tinned goods including meat, fish, fruit or vegetables

- Christmas treats including chocolates, Christmas cake or pudding, mince pies or a mini bottle of wine

- New socks, gloves or scarves

- Lap blankets that you have knitted or sewn

Residents can drop the items or hampers directly to the café at St Peter's Hospital on Spital Road - which is open from 9am to 2pm on Mondays to Fridays - or staff can arrange drop-off points in the Dengie area.

The hampers will be delivered to residents during the run-up to Christmas.

You can contact the café's Facebook page using the link here.