Customers can donate to the appeal in The Entertainer stores and online, giving underprivileged children a present for Christmas day.
The Big Toy Appeal encourages customers to pick up an extra toy to donate when they visit The Entertainer or shop online at TheToyShop.com.
“At The Entertainer, we believe that childhood is a right not a privilege,” explained founder and executive chairman, Gary Grant. “We are so grateful for the generosity of our customers.”
The Entertainer has joined forces with The Salvation Army to launch the appeal, a campaign which aims to give as many underprivileged children as possible the joy of opening a present on Christmas day.
For every toy donated, The Entertainer will also donate a toy, doubling the number of donations, and online shoppers will also be able to join the appeal by adding a gift to their basket. The Entertainer’s customers have donated over 60,000 toys since the appeal first launched in 2018, and this year the appeal aims to reach 100,000 total toys donated.
Providing Christmas presents for children can place additional pressure on families, where budgets are already incredibly stretched, with many families turning to charities like The Salvation Army for support, using foodbanks and other donations to help them through the Christmas period.
Covid-19 has had a huge financial impact on many families, with The Salvation Army providing more than two million meals to people struggling to afford food in the year to May 2021. The aim of The Big Toy Appeal is to alleviate some of this strain during the 2021 Christmas period by providing toys to families in need, so children can have some presents to open on Christmas.
Tony Daniels, director of Community Services for The Salvation Army, said: “Too many children in the UK would be without any presents at all at Christmas if it wasn’t for the generosity of people donating to The Big Toy appeal. The last two years have been incredibly difficult for many families, who struggle to afford Christmas due to pressure on family budgets, especially at the moment, and it is fantastic for us to be able to join up with the Entertainer and spread some festive joy.”
Gary Grant added: “Each year, our Big Toy Appeal supports an ever-increasing number of families, with over 60,000 toys donated so far. The financial difficulties the country has faced in the last two years will mean overwhelming difficulties for families trying to give their children a joyful and magical Christmas. Every child deserves to know they are special, and the Big Toy Appeal is an opportunity for us to work together to help families celebrate the wonder of Christmas.”
This year, The Big Toy Appeal will run online at www.TheToyShop.com and www.elc.co.uk and in stores between 1st and 30th November.
