Christmas 2020 ‘This will be the best Christmas my family will ever have, I don’t have to worry about each child receiving a gift’ 2020 has been a rather challenging year and definitely not one any of us expected – but because of this, we feel that we need to make Christmas even more special – and bring a smile to the faces of the children we support. Reedham Children’s Trust is running our annual Christmas Toy and Food Voucher drive to support those most vulnerable in our community. The children and families we work with often face multiple challenges from financial poverty, bereavement, homelessness to difficult home circumstances. Whilst we can’t fix everything overnight, we can do our little bit to help right now - and we would love you to help make Christmas 2020 extra special. How can you get involved? You can make a donation online and if you would like your donation to pay for a present or a food voucher write in the comments box TOY or FOOD If you wish to donate a physical present, Christmas gift collection boxes will be located at Centrale and Whitgift shopping centres when the shops reopen. However, we do appreciate that any further local restrictions and your own feelings regarding visiting a shopping centre, might prevent this – and we would never want you to put yourself at risk. To help, each shopping centre has a crowd checker so if you wish to shop in December, you can choose to when it is quiet. Please do contact us directly if you have any queries. Here are a few of the comments our children said last year: One parent said: ‘As a single mum I was devastated thinking of how am going to manage to prepare good food and buying gifts for my children for Christmas. When I received the food hampers and gifts for my children from Reedham Children's Trust I couldn’t control my tears. I am so grateful for them’ Any support you could offer this Christmas would be wonderful and if you would like some inspiration on gift ideas, please scroll down. Thank you, stay safe and have a wonderful Christmas. Team Reedham and the Christmas Elves Christmas Gift ideas and further information Ideas of gifts per age: 4-5: Dolls, action figures, puzzles, colouring books and crayons, play dough, building blocks, sticker books 6-8: Story books, games, Lego, arts and crafts, books, teddies, dolls, bags, jewellery making kit, electric toys, soft footballs/balls 9-11: Rucksack, educational games and challenges, books, art sets, diaries, football (please buy accompanying pump if needed) 12-14: Jewellery and nail varnish sets, watches, sports or book bags, stationary, footballs, outdoor play, games and challenges, books. 14+: Toiletries, hair and skin care products, vouchers – clothes, department stores, gaming etc All families: Food Vouchers from major supermarkets Important points to note: Unwrapped gifts are strongly preferred to make sure we allocate appropriately All gifts donated at the Whitgift or Centrale shopping centres should be labelled with a label from the giving tree Please no second-hand gifts Please consider a minimum gift value of £10 Please avoid bulky or heavy items as many gifts will be hand delivered by volunteers who need to carry them Please avoid anything violent (toy guns/swords) Please avoid anything with reference to Mummy or Daddy, as we work with children that may have suffered bereavement or been victims of family abuse. Please do get in touch if you have any questions: [email protected] or [email protected] or call 07309668071. *Donations will go directly towards vulnerable and disadvantaged children this Christmas and the forthcoming year.