Central Co-op’s Christmas Toy Appeal Returning to Boley Park, Lichfield on 4th November
Posted by sam bishop | Published: 02/11/2022
Following on from last year’s successful Christmas Toy Appeal event at Boley Park in Lichfield, Central Co-op is bringing its festive Christmas truck back to the store in order to collect gifts for its annual Christmas Toy Appeal. Customers can see the truck in person on 4th November, and enjoy festivities at the store at the same time.
The Toy Appeal, which is running from 2nd November to 2nd December, is collecting toys for charities such as Family-Action, The Salvation Army, Rainbows, and – for the first time – Play Action International, who is distributing toys to families in the UK affected by the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
Toy donations must be new, unwrapped and can include puzzles, games, soft toys, outdoor toys, books, dolls/figures, and art materials, with all stores and funeral homes featuring donation points throughout the Appeal. Food bank donation points can also be found at all stores, which will be distributed to local food banks across the trading area.
Over 10,000 toys were donated last year as a result of the efforts of customers, ensuring that as many children as possible had a gift to open on Christmas Day.
Chief Member and Customer Officer Rajesh Gupta said: “Every year our Christmas Toy Appeal brings joy to so many children, and that’s why we’re so passionate about it. This year will be especially important as we extend this support to the children of families fleeing the ongoing war in Ukraine.”
“As the cost-of-living crisis continues to cause challenges for many families, it’s more important than ever to make sure that every child wakes up to some festive joy on Christmas morning.”
“If you’re able to, please visit our various locations to donate to this appeal. Thank you so much for your support!”
Kirsty Coxon, Corporate Partnership Fundraiser at Rainbows, said: “It is wonderful for Rainbows to be part of the Central Co-op’s Christmas Toy Appeal once again. Christmas is a special time for us at the hospice, when wonderful memories are made. It is lovely for the children and young people who are with us over the festive period to be able to receive extra gifts and we would like to thank everyone who takes part in the scheme and supports us.”
For further details, head to the Central England Co-operative website, Facebook, and Twitter.
Notes to editors
About Central Co-op
Central Co-op is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK, with a heritage stretching back over 175 years and interests in food, funeral, floral and property investment.
Owned by hundreds of thousands of members, its 7,700 colleagues serve customers across 440 plus trading sites in 19 counties in the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.
Its purpose is to create a sustainable Society for all.
It actively campaigns for food justice and works with FareShare Midlands and a network of local food banks. It also adds £1 to every Healthy Start Voucher redeemed in store and supports six schools in partnership with Magic Breakfasts.
The Society embraces inclusivity and equality and is a signed-up member to the Business in the Community (BITC) Race at Work Charter. The Society is also a member of Diversity in Retail and it is fully committed to addressing the impacts of climate change by reducing carbon and food waste, increasing recycling and investment in community Sustainable Spaces funded by the carrier bag levy. It recently launched its Malawi Partnership to support farmers and producers in the country through the Co-operative International Trading Development Fund.
It invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities through its Community Dividend Fund scheme which has seen over £109,769.25 shared out between 121 good causes in 2022.
Press office contact: Sam Bishop, PR Specialist
Contact details:
sam.bishop@centralengland.coop
07385 048048
