A Season of Hope: Celebrating the Generosity Behind the 2024 ELBA Toy Appeal

Written by Malaika Safder, Smera Nadeem and Naimah Miah

“On behalf of the London Black Women’s Project, we would like to extend our deepest gratitude for your incredible support. Your generosity has made a tremendous difference to the women, girls, and children who have fled domestic abuse and violence and have found refuge with us… During this challenging time, your contributions have brought much-needed joy and comfort to vulnerable families… Your support has truly been a beacon of hope for these families, and for that, we are deeply thankful. We look forward to continuing our partnership with you in 2025 and beyond, as we work together to bring even more joy and relief to those who need it most. With heartfelt thanks.”

– Community organisation, The London Black Women’s Project

Echoing the sentiments of appreciation and thanks, due to the incredible generosity of companies involved in supporting the Toy Appeal 2024, 119 community organisations across East London and Islington received 17,109 toys. The sentiments across the board were full of ‘heartfelt thanks’ and appreciation as another tough financial climate made it difficult for parents and carers to purchase toys and make this festive period memorable for their loved ones.

“… For families facing financial difficulties, the ability to give and receive gifts is a meaningful reminder of hope and care. Thanks to your kindness, we were able to transform our food hub into a joyful Christmas grotto where parents and children collected presents alongside their holiday food. It was a heartwarming experience that brought smiles, gratitude, and a sense of community to everyone involved. Your contributions have made a significant difference, and we cannot thank you enough for the joy you’ve helped us spread….”

– Community Organisation – Children with voices

This year marked 34 years of the Toy Appeal and ELBA is proud to recognise how far the appeal has come since its origins in 1990. It started with the late Susan Haythorpe, who through her work in East London and working closely with community organisations, noticed that many children did not receive a toy at Christmas – hence, the under- the desk collection starting at ELBA. From hundreds of toys, to 6,000 toys in 2014, to 15,000 plus in the last 5 years – her legacy and the kindness of all who support and donate has been continuous and a true symbol of generosity seen throughout the year.

2024 had over 100 companies involved in supporting the Toy Appeal with over 200 corporate volunteers getting stuck in with helping at the Grotto – picking toys, wrapping, boxing and loading up toys ready for distribution. The scale and operation of the Toy Appeal increases each year, and as a small team, it would be impossible to manage without the support of volunteers – thank you.

In particular, we wanted to express a big thank you to Canary Wharf Group for hosting the Toy Appeal for the fifth year within the Jubilee Place Shopping Mall – without this support, access to the resources and having a public-facing shop front, it would be difficult to meet the demands and operate as smoothly in regards to the undertaking of the appeal.

This year was exciting as we had the opportunity to support the London Fire Brigade (Bethnal Green) who paid the Grotto a visit to collect toys to distribute to children in hospitals on Christmas Day!

“The support shown by the entire team at ELBA has been second to none. Their “can-do/will-do” attitudes shone brightly as the festive period approached. Firefighters from across the borough of Tower Hamlets organised a collection to make Christmas Day special for all the children and staff on the wards at the Royal London Hospital. On Christmas Day, crews from Bethnal Green and Shadwell Fire Stations arrived at the hospital in three fire appliances, dressed in festive jumpers—with one firefighter even donning a Santa costume. They delivered toys from their collection alongside those donated by the ELBA Toy Appeal 2024.The appreciation shown by the children, their parents, and the ward staff is almost impossible to describe, so we will simply say a heartfelt thank you. The hard work and generosity of everyone at ELBA had a profound and positive impact on so many young lives. The firefighters on duty, who were away from their families on Christmas Day, felt privileged and honoured to be part of the ELBA Toy Appeal 2024.”

– Richard Tapp – London Fire Brigade

“At ELBA, we are humbled and heartened by the incredible generosity of our employee volunteers and corporate partners who made the 2024 Toy Appeal a success. Together, alongside our amazing community partners, we’ve ensured a brighter festive period for the young people we serve, demonstrating the true spirit of community and compassion. Thank you all for making a difference.”

– Julie Hutchinson, ELBA CEO

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