KINDHEARTED staff and volunteers at a Dorset children's charity have created a magical winter wonderland to make Christmas special for the families they support.

The window of the Dorset Children's Foundation shop in Christchurch Road, Boscombe has been transformed by the store manager, Jayne Carr, to create a festive backdrop where sick and disabled youngsters can meet Santa, and have a memorable family photo shoot.

The charity works tirelessly to support local children by funding vital medical expenses, mobility equipment and therapies not currently provided by the NHS.

Co-founder Patsy Hallmey said: "We were talking to some of the parents of our children who said that they would love some Christmas photos, but found the idea of a studio shoot really stressful as it is sometimes difficult to keep to an appointment slot when your child has special needs.

"So we pulled together and Jayne Carr, Manager at our Boscombe Shop, turned the shop window into a magical winter wonderland to use as a backdrop. We had Father Christmas and his elf in attendance."

Paul Thompson, from Oakphotography, donated his time for free to take professional photos of the families meeting Santa, and local company Reward IT sponsored mince pies and Prosecco for the parents, as well as giving a gift to every child that attended the event.

The charity created a heart-warming afternoon for families, who were invited to enjoy the shoot, receive a framed photo to remember the event by, and were able to talk to each other in a friendly, relaxed setting.

It is now hoped that the Christmas photo shoot will become an annual event in the charity's calendar.

To find out more about the Dorset Children's Foundation, visit thedcf.org