KidsOut helps child victims of abuse who have had to leave home for the safety of a refuge with nothing except the clothes on their backs.
This year’s Toy Fair welcomed back KidsOut as the show’s charity partner for the end-of-show Trolley Dash for the sixth year running. The Trolley Dash once again marked the end of a successful Toy Fair, with exhibitors kindly donating 5,000 toys and games to the KidsOut volunteers roaming through the aisles with shopping trolleys. This year was a record-breaker for KidsOut at the show; the charity collected the most donations from exhibitors that it has ever received.
KidsOut helps child victims of abuse who have had to leave home, usually with their mum, for the safety of a refuge with nothing except the clothes on their backs. The KidsOut volunteers categorise the toys into age and gender and create toy boxes to send out to children. KidsOut sent out over 15,000 toy boxes in total in 2022, and the toys specifically donated from Toy Fair this year will help at least another 500 children.
Julian Margolin, chief ambassador at KidsOut, said: “We were once again overwhelmed by the amount of support from the toy trade at this year’s Toy Fair Trolley Dash. Over 80 volunteers were literally rushed off their feet after rolling down the aisles and back with trolleys full of donations. We would like to thank not only everyone in the trade but also the BTHA for its continued faith in the cause and especially to Majen Immink, Jo Lester and their teams for allowing us the opportunity, as well as the unseen heroes supporting with trolleys and transport, Tesco and (DHL) Marks and Spencer.”
Majen Immink, director of Toy Fair, said: “It has been a pleasure once again to have KidsOut as our charity partner, which organises the Trolley Dash seamlessly. The work it does to bring some joy to children who need it most is truly remarkable and such a worthwhile cause, and it is great that as a show we can be a part of that. The generosity from our exhibitors each year is astounding and we are so grateful to be able to give something back to children, who are at the heart of our industry.”
Readers interested in volunteering or a team bonding day can get in touch with KidsOut and volunteer to pack toy boxes. Email info@kidsout.org.uk for more information or visit www.kidsout.org.uk.
Exhibitor applications for Toy Fair 2024 will open in March on the Toy Fair website www.toyfair.co.uk.
