LEARNING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY SPIRIT SARAH, DUCHESS OF YORK BRINGS SOME SEASONAL JOY TO BURNLEY ON A BUSY DAY OF VISITS

It's the time of year when giving is more important than receiving - and it was a message that Sarah, Duchess of York took to heart on a visit to Burnley.

- LAURA BENJAMIN

Spreading Christmas cheer ahead of 25 December, Sarah had an action-packed diary of events, visiting two primary schools, a university, a football club, a community kitchen and lunch club, and a mosque.

Her trademark enthusiasm was on show when she delivered a Christmas gift to every child at Burnley's Holy Trinity Primary School, joining a singalong of Go Tell It on the Mountain before being presented with home-made Christmas cards from the pupils.

WARM WELCOME

"What a wonderful school community," she said. "Staff and pupils could not have been more welcoming and I loved sharing some Christmas presents from my charity Sarah's Trust.

"It was also an honour to meet the Bishop of Blackburn and hear more about the brilliant work the Church is doing in schools and the broader community."