Our annual collection for the Newham Christmas Toy Appeal took place over the weekend of November 22 and 23 at the home games against Hutton and Richmond & Kew.
For the second year in a row, there was a fundraising stall selling rare and old Clapton merch and memorabilia, donated by fellow fans. Between sales on this stall and a bucket shake for donations, we raised a whopping £842.23.
This was donated to the appeal today during the Big Give promotion which saw donation doubled to £1684.46 thanks to match funding.
In total Clapton fans have raised about £7000 over the years for the appeal. Thanks so much for your generosity.
About the Kevin Jenkins Newham Christmas Toy Appeal
The Appeal is organised by local charity Ambition, Aspire, Achieve and the Newham Recorder newspaper. In recent years, it’s been renamed to honour its founder, Kevin Jenkins.
Now in its 48th year, the Appeal is sadly needed more than ever. In Newham, over half of local children are growing up in poverty. The Appeal expects over 3,000 vulnerable children and young people to be referred, with early requests already outstripping previous years.
Many families simply cannot afford gifts or seasonal food; without help, Christmas Day would be just another day. This year they aim to raise enough to buy 15,000 new toys and gifts. Their goal is to provide each child with a Christmas stocking tailored to their age, needs and abilities.
You can still help the Appeal
If you donate via the Big Give before December 9, your donation to the Appeal will be doubled. After that date, you can still donate via their JustGiving page.
Physical donations of toys can be dropped off at the Terence Brown Arc In The Park in Bethell Avenue, Canning Town. The drop-off centre is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, and from 10am to 1pm on Saturdays.
Other Christmas toy appeals you can help
It’s the 11th annual Winter Toy Appeal which covers Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Tower Hamlets. You can donate online here. You can drop off new toys at Location Location (18 Stokey Newington Church Street) or at Better Leisure Centres in Hackney. Deadline is Tuesday, December 16.
A similar toy appeal has now been launched in Walthamstow, the Mayor’s Christmas Present Appeal. You can donate online here. If you have any unused children’s gifts which you’re happy to donate, the drop-off location is Waltham Forest Town Hall Foyer, Forest Road, Walthamstow, E17 4JF. Deadline is Monday, December 15.
Nationally, Family Action runs a Christmas Toy Appeal for the 1 in 6 parents across the country who can’t afford a gift for their child this Christmas. You can donate online here.