The ELBA & BIG Alliance Toy Appeal 2020

The ELBA & BIG Alliance Toy Appeal is an annual event where we kindly ask employees to donate a gift to a child in east London and Islington. The toys are distributed to children that, because of their circumstances, would not receive a toy at Christmas. It is not right that in some parts of east London, over 50% of children live in poverty. At ELBA, we believe that every child deserves to feel the joy of opening a present at Christmas.

This year's Toy Appeal will be different from previous years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has impacted communities by leaving many families unemployed, seeking benefits, and in crisis. The unprecedented circumstances faced this year means that even more children may not receive a toy. After the challenging few months for children and their families, you can bring happiness to a child by donating to the ELBA & BIG alliance Toy Appeal.

This year, while many of us are working from home, we will be adapting the Toy Appeal so we can continue to support the local community as we always have. For the first time, we are fundraising for the Toy Appeal to make it easier for people to contribute while working remotely. All money raised will be spent on toys and a percentage of the funds raised will be used to place orders for toys from local businesses.

Each toy that ELBA purchases is between £10 and £15. The children that receive the toys are between 0 and 16 years old so we will be purchasing everything from rattles and comforters, to lego, to toiletries for older children.

Where do the toys go?

The toys are distributed to ELBA's community partners in east London and Islington. All these organisations work with families and children who are experiencing hardship for different reasons. This includes families that are fleeing domestic violence, living in emergency temporary accommodation, refugees, and children with disabilities and additional needs. The organisations we support include hospital wards, womens refuges, food banks, adventure playgrounds, childrens centres and any organisation working with vulnerable children and families.

One of the food banks spoke to ELBA about a family that received toys from last years appeal:

"The families we work with are living below the breadline, with money often short for the basics. We work with one family where the mum had experienced domestic violence and was struggling with 3 children. They were under threat of eviction and she was dreading the extra expense of Christmas and the school holidays. She was desperate to try and make this time as 'normal' and enjoyable as possible for the children. With the donations from the Toy Appeal, she was able to provide some presents for the children that could come from Santa on Christmas Day. We tried to choose gifts that each child would like and a couple of additional family games so they could also play together. All of this would not have been possible without the Toy Appeal. "

Another Mum who is seeking asylum with her children said:

" I have no one here and this is very special to me and my child; it makes me feel like someone cares. "

While the current pandemic means that our community partners will not be able to hold Christmas parties, they will still be distributing toys to families in crisis. They are relying on the Toy Appeal to make Christmas a happy time for thousands of children. Despite the challenges that this year has presented, let's come together and make the 2020 Toy Appeal the biggest ever!