If you were asked “what is your earliest memory of Christmas?”, would you be able to remember a present that you received or an activity that you did?
Most of our volunteers can remember family activites rather than presents received.
At Spirit of Christmas we are keen to let families have lovely experiences that they will remember in years to come.
With this in mind our biggest single project this year is a Christmas Toy Bank, where we convert a warehouse into a traditional toy shop (complete with train set!), and invite families to come along and pick presents and books for their children.
It is a magical experience where families can take time to browse the toy shop and personally select toys and books for their children
They are empowered to choose what they want in a shop that is decorated for Christmas, and do not need to worry about being able to afford to buy them.
We aim to provide toys and books for 750 children and at the same time will give out a Christmas craft for each child to make at home with their parents guardians.
We are always looking for donations of suitable gifts to stock our “shop” with, but try to avoid soft toys, as from previous experience they are seldom chosen as gifts. Toys with batteries can also pose problems as many parents cannot afford to buy batteries needed to operate the toy.
Any support you can offer would be greatly appreciated.