Donations soar past 500 mark

More than 500 items have so far been donated to this year’s Monklands toy appeal – and there’s still time to get involved and help make it a merry Christmas for local youngsters.

Gifts for young people aged under 16 have been rolling into our supermarket donation points, with volunteers so far collecting and distributing nine trolley- loads of items from Morrisons and Tesco in Airdrie and Asda in Coatbridge.

Santa’s helpers from Airdrie community group XACT have also helped Monklands residents add to the pile of presents for local youngsters by staging collection points at Airdrie and Faraday retail parks.

New and unused toys, books, toiletries and gifts can be handed in to the three supermarkets until this Sunday, December 13 – and presents for infants, older teens, boys of all ages plus games are in particular demand.

Gifts are this year being safely quarantined for at least three days before being handed out, with donations so far this year going to schools and early learning centres, Coatbridge community nurses, St Vincent de Paul and the @ home centre in Airdrie to be given to their youngsters; with more schools set to pick up gifts before their end of term.

XACT toy appeal coordinator Norbert Grant said: “The toy appeal has been going really well this year and we must have had 500 items already, which have all been distributed or allocated.

“We’ve picked up lots of trolleyloads from all the supermarkets and hope we’ll be back to them again before the end of the appeal; and when we’ve been doing our static collection points we’ve had people asking us what we particularly need, which is great.

“This year we’ve had lots of headphones, which are great, and things like pyjamas, slippers and deodorant sets which make really nice gifts.”

He added: “We’re lucky to facilitate the toy appeal each year; it’s a great thing and we’re so grateful to everybody who donates to it.”