Central England Co-op is celebrating the festive period with its annual Christmas Toy Appeal campaign by delivering gifts to children in need across Central England.
The campaign is encouraging the public to make generous toy donations to the supermarket chain between 4 November and 2 December.
Donations can be made at all of the CEC’s 248 food stores and 179 funeral homes and will then be distributed to organisations including Family Action, Birmingham Salvation Army, The Young Ones, and The Active Wellbeing Society.
Last year alone saw the Christmas Toy Appeal deliver over 10,000 toys to children across the UK, and following “seasonal pushes” earlier this year, the CEC will also be continuing its ongoing support for local food banks.
The retailer will also be hosting special community events in select locations in Central England to encourage toy donations, featuring a festive lorry to collect the gifts.
Items that can be donated have to be new, unwrapped and can include puzzles, games, soft toys, outdoor toys, books, dolls/figures and art materials.
“Every year our Christmas Toy Appeal brings joy to so many children, and that’s why we’re so passionate about it. This year will be especially important as we extend this support to the children of families fleeing the ongoing war in Ukraine,” Central England Co-op CEO Debbie Robinson said.
She added: “As the cost-of-living crisis continues to cause challenges for many families, it’s more important than ever to make sure that every child wakes up to a toy on Christmas morning.”
The news comes as Lidl is set to roll out a toy donation drive across over 940 of its stores to support charities and community groups over the Christmas period.
