Christmas 2019 was easily the best ever for the charity! The whole team at KidsOut were blown away by the fantastic response to the Giving Tree initiative with a record breaking 1,400 companies signing-up to the toy appeal – almost double the amount from 2018! This resulted in 23,328 toys being distributed to children in refuge over the 2019 Christmas period! This festive season was truly one to remember, with businesses and individuals from all corners of the UK ditching Secret Santa and donating brand new gifts to disadvantaged children instead. Alongside the contribution of tens of thousands of toys, an incredible £50,000 was raised solely through Giving Tree monetary donations – mostly via the Gold Text Tags!
This overwhelming generosity meant KidsOut were able to offer every child in a Women’s Aid refuge the opportunity to receive at least one present at Christmas. No child should have to wake up on Christmas day without a present to unwrap and play with, and even receiving a simple present such as a cuddly toy, book, or board game will have made such a difference to these children and their families.
KidsOut has received some lovely feedback from groups benefitting from the 2019 Giving Tree. Peterborough Women’s Aid told the team how much of an impact the donations made, relaying how the Giving Tree “helped to make this Christmas very special for the families we work with.” Safer Places in Essex explained how “Refuge life can be difficult, especially for families, and the added pressure for parents to ensure their children have presents to open on Christmas morning causes a lot of stress and upset for our mums – especially if finances are tight. However, your donations mean we can provide our amazing families with the opportunity to have a lovely Christmas. Thank you so much and please know your donations will be put towards making a child smile this Christmas.”
A thank you card from children in refuge
The initiative spread all over the UK and was reported on by both local and national press, including the BBC (both TV with BBC Breakfast and Radio) and the Daily Mirror! After this exposure KidsOut was inundated with donations and enquiries from individuals looking to get involved with the scheme. The charity’s office in Leighton Buzzard was overrun with items purchased through the Giving Tree Amazon wishlist! The Giving Tree has really caught the hearts and minds of the nation, with many charities copying the idea for their own toy appeals. KidsOut are proud to have kick-started what can only be called a national phenomenon.
Giving Tree in the Press! Left: Gordon Moulds, KidsOut CEO, on BBC Breakfast; Right: KidsOut’s Giving Tree features in the Daily Mirror
KidsOut would like to particularly thank all those companies who allowed us to use their space as collection points. Without their support, the KidsOut Giving Tree would not have been such a huge success! These collection points were vital to the running of the initiative, allowing us to receive toys from companies far and wide.
It is important to thank every company and individual who got involved in the 2019 Giving Tree. Without your generous donations none of this would have been possible.
But remember, KidsOut gives toys to disadvantaged children throughout the year and we need your help. Due to the unprecedented volume of toys received throughout 2019, from the likes of Cash For Kids and the London Toy Fair, KidsOut urgently requires teams of volunteers to audit these toys to ensure disadvantaged children can promptly receive these much-needed gifts. KidsOut has storage spaces in London and Luton and requires volunteers to use their CSR days to help audit these toys. Click here for further information or email [email protected] .
We will be posting information about Giving Tree 2020 soon, so be sure to stay up to date with all KidsOut news via our newsletter and our social media platforms. There are also lots of other ways to get involved with KidsOut! Get in touch via [email protected] or 0152585252 to speak to a member of the team.
From all of us at KidsOut we want to again thank everyone who took part in the 2019 Giving Tree. Your generosity has made a world of difference to the lives of some of the UK’s most disadvantaged children.
