Rochdale businesses pitch in to donate to Christmas toy appeal

Local business Performance Doorset Solutions Ltd in Littleborough is encouraging other businesses to donate toys to Rochdale Council's Toy Appeal before Friday 4 December.

The appeal has been organised by the council’s staff-run ‘Giving Back’ charity, which collects the donations and sends them to underprivileged children in Rochdale, and to children of nurses, social workers and local schools.

Due to Covid-19, the usual drop off points, libraries and Link4Life leisure centres are closed this year, so the charity is asking for gifts to be sent directly to the council’s main office, Number One Riverside.

Performance Doorset Solutions has donated £1,000, and ordered gifts from the charity wish list to be delivered.

Managing Director and founder of PDS Doorset, Tim Fairley said: "We’ve had to adapt to Covid, we’re very much about being a part of the community and we want people to realise we’re helping the community.

"People are being asked to shop online this year and send donations online to avoid unnecessary journeys and risk."

Town centre toy shop, ToysAroo has set up a free delivery service, whereby people can order gifts for the appeal online.
 

Read more: Businesses step in to help charity Christmas Toy AppealPublished: 19 November 2020

Typically, the charity gets requests for 40-70 children per school, but this year there could be requests from more than 500 families.

Helen Walton, from the Giving Back charity said: “We need as many donations as we can because Covid has impacted so many people, and we’re overwhelmed with the enormous demand this year.

“We’d be grateful for as big a push as we can get.

“We’re doing everything we can, but we need to provide toys for hundreds of children and it’s given us many sleepless nights.

“This year of all years, children deserve to wake up to a Christmas tree of presents.

“A nice thing this year is that a number of other community groups have asked us to deliver for them, including Brass Knuckle Riders, who have been picking up medicine for people and given out free school meals have asked us for donations. Next year, I’d love to see more of this kind of collaborative effort from other community groups.”

Drop-off points have been set up at Tesco Rochdale, and Co-Op stores in Milnrow, Castleton, and Littleborough.

Since 2015, the appeal has provided presents and toys for children and teenagers, delivering 2,500 presents last year.

The address to send gifts to is: Giving Back - Christmas Toy Appeal, Rochdale Borough Council, Number One Riverside, Smith Street, Rochdale OL16 1XU. Gifts will need to be received by Friday 4 December.

To find out more about how to help the charity appeal visit:

• www.rochdale.gov.uk/features/christmas/Pages/christmas-toy-appeal.aspx