The Toy Trust has announced that its theme for this year is Giving the Gift of Play.

2016 will see a number of Toy Trust events and initiatives taking place including the Trust’s main fundraiser, the Big Cambridge Challenge, which takes place on 2nd July, all of which will be underpinned by the Giving the Gift of Play theme.

The BTHA’s Make Time 2 Play campaign highlights the many benefits of play for children, and the Toy Trust’s theme for 2016 aims to make those benefits and positive play experiences a reality for many children who would not otherwise have access to this basic right.

The Toy Trust Committee has pledged to give its support to some fantastic projects which will go on to facilitate positive play experiences for children that need it most.

East African Playgrounds (EAP), based in Uganda, has been chosen as the Toy Trust’s main overseas beneficiary charity in 2016. The Toy Trust has pledged £60,000 which will go on to fund 13 new playgrounds in refugee camps, local early childhood development and nursery centres and government schools in Uganda. The playgrounds will last for many years and it is estimated will impact more than 20,000 children throughout that time.

As well as the overseas support, the Toy Trust has made a strategic decision to provide specialist play equipment through UK children’s hospices. This equipment will provide crucial play experiences for children with life limiting illnesses and their siblings. Details of the chosen hospices to be supported will be announced very shortly.