Help a family in need with toys and gifts for children this Christmas

Christmas can bring great joy but for many it can also bring great financial strain and perhaps no more so than this year.

John and Sarah started the Oxfordshire Toy Bank in 2019 to help those families who may not be able to afford gifts at this time of year. They collect new toys and donations in the run up to Christmas and distribute them to families all over Oxfordshire.

New toys can be donated at several Collection Points – South Moreton Boxing Club; Mollies Café, St Martin’s Street, Wallingford; Wallingford Baptist Chuch; Blewbury Primary School; The Barn Fitness Club, Church Road, Cholsey and The Old Counting House, High Street, Wallingford – or they can arrange collection. They’re then distributed to families who’ve applied to the Toy Bank for help, with the remainder being distributed through Oxfordshire Social Services to families in need. They also work with the local food banks and churches.

In the last two years John and Sarah have distributed thousands of presents and gift vouchers – they use donations to buy gift vouchers for teenagers, an often overlooked age group.

Any parent or primary carer who lives in Oxfordshire and is in need of some additional help this Christmas with provision of new toys and gifts for their children can apply for help via the website. They also welcome offers of corporate or individual sponsorship pledging cash donations to help which are used to buy vouchers.