Toy charity backing Times campaign to help save Christmas
Govan group is adapting amid impact of Covid- 19
ASMALL Govan charity that was forced to scrap its annual toy bank drive due to the coronavirus pandemic has thanked the Glasgow Times for its appeal.
The Glasgow Care Foundation sends out toys to around
600 families with children every Christmas, alongside a supermarket voucher ranging from £ 100 to £ 200 depending on the size of the group.
However, as Covid- 19 forced staff to work at home, coupled with a change in personnel, this year’s service will focus entirely on cash vouchers – and our appeal means toys can still be donated to ensure fewer little ones miss out.
Elaine Sergeant, from the charity, said: “Our offices are normally like Toys’R’Us this time of year.
“We’re a very small charity
– we only have four staff – and, unfortunately, this year coronavirus just took it out of our hands.
“Normally, we would look back at the families we’ve helped that year and invite those with children down to the office where we would give them a bag of toys that are appropriate for the particular child and a supermarket voucher.
“This year, it’ll just be the voucher to buy a turkey or Christmas dinner or wee bits of extra things for the kids that they need, so the choice is theirs.
“With the toys and gifts, it’s great, and people are very, very grateful – but last year, we had a similar situation with a change in personnel, so we gave mainly vouchers, and the feedback was that a lot of people like that because they got to pick what they needed.”
The Govan- based charity is urging all those who wish to donate cash to do so via its website in a bid to ensure as many families as possible will receive a voucher, which will be sent digitally or through the post to adhere to Covid- 19 measures.
Meanwhile, those who would normally donate toys to the Glasgow Care Foundation have been asked to, instead, send their gifts to the Glasgow Times Toy Bank Appeal.
Paper bags will be placed inside each copy of the Glasgow Times from December 4.
The bags can be filled with toys before being donated to a local toy bank or to our partners – Storage Vault and A1 Toys – where they will be collected by our team and distributed to those in need.
More details of our drop- off facilities will be made available soon.
Elaine added: “For me, it’s a no- brainer. We’re absolutely happy to support the campaign and if it brings in donations to us, that’s a bonus.”
To donate a cash gift, visit glasgowcarefoundation. org.