ELBA and BIG Alliance Toy Appeal 2022 – It’s Time!
Written by Kita Berman van Heerden, Challenge:ELBA Project Manager and Smera Nadeem, Isolation Reduction Project Manager, Challenge:ELBA
With the festive period fast approaching, the time to plan for the annual ELBA and BIG Alliance Toy Appeal has arrived. As always, we were overwhelmed by the incredible support that ELBA received last year. With the help of 82 corporate partners, over £225,000 was raised translating to over 18,000 toys being distributed to 100 community organisations and gifted to children and families in East London and Islington. Families supported included those that are fleeing domestic violence, living in emergency temporary accommodation, refugees, and children with disabilities and additional needs. The Covid-19 pandemic continues to have a significant adverse impact on families being affected by illness, isolation and loss of jobs, exacerbated further this year by the cost of living crisis.
Following the 2021 Toy Appeal, one parent told us:
“With so little happening for young children due to the pandemic I was feeling isolated and concerned my child was missing out on so much. It was a lovely surprise to be invited to collect a gift. When we arrived, we were made to feel special and given a bag of goodies which were great to keep us busy over the long closure period.”
We celebrate and look back at the support provided in the past, and hope to see this again when we are faced with the grim reality many are facing today. The cost of living and energy crisis has many families worried sick about making it through this winter; choosing between heating their homes, budgeting against the increased cost of food, the added expense that the festive period and Christmas brings etc. – a stress that thousands are facing. In some areas of east London, over 50% of children live in poverty and these households are affected most by these changes. It has been estimated that the cost of living crisis will see a 53% increase in foodbank recipients since pre-pandemic. It is safe to say that the need for support has never been more urgent.
Triangoals, a charity based in Barking and Dagenham said:
“We have families who are struggling to provide meals for their children, so gifts are not often even thought about. We had many families who thanked us and stated that this would be the only gift that their child would receive this year.”
We want every child to feel joy during this festive season regardless of any hardships that their families might be facing. There are many ways that you can get involved in the Toy Appeal this year, from ordering toys online or monetary donations, volunteering your time to sort and pack presents, running an office collection or dropping off some gifts yourself at our Toy Appeal grotto. We encourage you all to participate in whatever way you can this year to help make this festive period one to remember for many children and families across London. The generosity of everyone who takes part brings a small bit of happiness to a child and takes the pressure off parents struggling financially who may worry about how to provide a gift for their children.
With special attention to the cost of living crisis, this year ELBA will also look to utilise the monetary donations coming in as per needs identified by community organisations to support children and their families further. More details to follow as the community feedback comes in and the planning progresses!
The Challenge team at ELBA will also be launching the Festive Team Challenges Programme to support our community partners in planning their festive activities. This includes events at children’s centres, hospital wards, food banks, primary schools, community centres, adventure playgrounds and much more. Volunteering opportunities will include supporting community organisations with festive parties, helping out in the Toy Appeal Grotto by sorting, wrapping and distributing toys and writing letters from Santa which will go with the toys.
For more information, please contact Smera Nadeem at smera.nadeem@elba-1.org.uk or Kita Berman van Heerden at kita.bermanvanheerden@elba-1.org.uk .
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