Over the past few months, we've been arranging Christmas donations for families in Cornwall, and have purchased a total of £1500 worth of toys to donate to children who would otherwise not have the luxury of presents on Christmas day.
In November, some of our team went down to Blewetts Toy Shop in Hayle to choose over 100 gifts for children of all ages. A further £300 was spent on wrapping paper, gift bags and tape (to be given with the gifts so that parents/carers can wrap the presents themselves).
Having arranged to donate the toys to the Salvation Army, we offered support in preparing the gifts for collection and delivery. During the second week of December, PR and Marketing Executive Jenna Ali; Property Managers Bini Barnes and Rosina Perry; Communications Manager Gemma Taylor; Senior Holiday Coordinator Sue Basset, and Holiday Coordinator Stacey Kendall spent the week at Newquay’s Salvation Army helping Church Leader, Martyn Coles, prepare and deliver the gifts for local children.
The humbling yet rewarding experience of readying the gifts, knowing they would go to children in need in Cornwall this Christmas, was incredibly emotive. Each gift bag, filled with toys and wrapping paper, really was packed with love. Toys provide joy, enrichment, and comfort to children; being able to prevent a child from waking up to nothing (and returning to school in the new year having received nothing from Santa) was incredibly moving for the team.
Chair of the Charity Council at Aspects Holidays, Jenna Ali, said the following: “It’s been fantastic being able to give back to the community throughout 2022, and as we neared the end of the year, we wanted one final push to support people in our community who might not otherwise have the chance to celebrate Christmas. We hope that our donations will help to make a difference during the festive period, bringing people less fortunate some happiness this Christmas.”
Martyn Coles, who organised the Newquay Salvation Army toy appeal, expressed his appreciation: "A massive thank you to the team from Aspects Holidays for the massive donation of toys and amazing help with packing for our Christmas present appeal this year. It helped us to ensure that over 200 children in our local area had presents to open on Christmas morning. Thank you so much for making a difference in their lives.”
If you, or someone you know, needs help, you can find support and advice at the organisations below: