http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/w...re/4487628.stm
Three Swindon students have taken the concept of the "secret Santa" to the extreme, by trying to encourage the whole town to take part.
Jon Richards, Matt Green and Zoe Hooper have set up a website, inviting people to register as gift-givers.
Participants will be e-mailed the age and sex of a person for whom they must buy a present. In the same way, they will receive one themselves.
The trio said they were getting nothing in return but "a warm feeling inside".
To maintain anonymity, safeguard security and prevent inappropriate gifts being given, people are required to post their £3-£4 offering to the Swindon Secret Santa team, who will wrap it and deliver it by hand to the recipient.
Web experience
The idea evolved when the 18-year-olds were discussing how a large-scale secret Santa scheme might work.
Matt said: "We thought about how we might do one among ourselves, then decided to go bigger.
"And as Jon and I are both design students at Swindon College, we thought that designing a website would be a good experience."
Jon, Matt and student nurse, Zoe, are gearing up for a flurry of wrapping and delivering.
"It might take three days, but we've enlisted the help of our families," said Matt.
Thus proving Swindon is a forward thinking, modern town for the 21st century.
Three Swindon students have taken the concept of the "secret Santa" to the extreme, by trying to encourage the whole town to take part.
Jon Richards, Matt Green and Zoe Hooper have set up a website, inviting people to register as gift-givers.
Participants will be e-mailed the age and sex of a person for whom they must buy a present. In the same way, they will receive one themselves.
The trio said they were getting nothing in return but "a warm feeling inside".
To maintain anonymity, safeguard security and prevent inappropriate gifts being given, people are required to post their £3-£4 offering to the Swindon Secret Santa team, who will wrap it and deliver it by hand to the recipient.
Web experience
The idea evolved when the 18-year-olds were discussing how a large-scale secret Santa scheme might work.
Matt said: "We thought about how we might do one among ourselves, then decided to go bigger.
"And as Jon and I are both design students at Swindon College, we thought that designing a website would be a good experience."
Jon, Matt and student nurse, Zoe, are gearing up for a flurry of wrapping and delivering.
"It might take three days, but we've enlisted the help of our families," said Matt.
Thus proving Swindon is a forward thinking, modern town for the 21st century.
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