IT’S the time for last-minute preparations.

With Christmas just hours away and new year’s celebrations around the corner, one superstore is offering a helping hand.

A voucher worth £100 to spend at Sainsbury’s is up for grabs that can be spent on last-minute goodies or saved up to help cover the food bills in the new year.

The supermarket chain offers a selection of food, drinks and goodies that could help ease the Christmas hangover.

Throughout the festive season employees have been getting into the Christmas spirit by offering helpful tips to survive the party season in style.

Store workers have also been encouraging customers to complete random acts of kindness during the season of goodwill.

Their 12 random acts include encouraging people to put together goodie bags filled with treats for the postman and refuse collectors, becoming a mystery baker and whipping up a batch of mince pies or gingerbread biscuits to then parcel up and deliver anonymously.

Other acts include taking a friend or neighbour without a car out shopping, play Santa’s little helper and offer Christmas card delivery services to neighbours or even volunteer at a soup kitchen.

Offering one lucky reader a financial boost could help pay for a few extra festive nibbles at a Christmas party with Sainsbury’s hosting a range of party packs, or could buy you some extra plates and glasses for the person hosting a festive or new year’s bash.

To discover any other last-minute tips and tricks for Christmas day or how to keep the children entertained with some crafty distractions, visit sainsburys.co.uk.

  • HOW TO ENTER

For your chance to win simply answer the question below, then enter by one of the following ways:

Q: How many random acts of kindness have Sainsbury’s encouraged their customers to complete?

By phone: 0901 151 0225 Calls cost 51p from a BT landline, calls from mobiles and other networks may cost more.

By text: Text the keyword BUY followed by a space, then your answer, name, postcode and first line of your home address and send to 80360.

Text messages cost 50p plus your mobile operator’s standard text charge.

By post: Send answers on a postcard together with your name, address, daytime telephone number and email address to: Win Christmas Sainsbury’s Competition, Southern Daily Echo, PO Box 543, Southampton, SO16 9ZQ.

Entries must be received by midnight Sunday, December 28. Postal entries strictly limited to one per household.

Normal Echo rules apply, for a complete set of rules visit www.dailyecho.co.uk and click on “Promotions & Competitions”.

Telephone/text lines provided by Newsquest Media Group.