Clock ticking to get festive donations in
Overwhelming generosity from businesses
There’s just a few more days left to get donations in for this year’s Stirling Observer Give A Gift Appeal.
But already the generosity is very much on show for the 2021 Christmas effort.
Morrisons supermarket in Stirling has been one of the main drop off points over the last few years and this week handed over the many toys and gifts they have gathered in so far.
People manager at the Stirling store Annamarie Walker said: “We’d like say thank you to all our fantastic customers and colleagues who have been extremely generous as usual. We know donations will still be flooding in this week in the final days of the appeal.”
The team at Dunblane solicitors McLean and Stewart have also been pulling out all the stops once again.
Thanks to members of staff and clients they presented a treasure trove of items and gift vouchers to Observer representatives on Friday.
Angie Henderson from McLean and Stewart said: “We are delighted to contribute to such a fantastic appeal again this year and hope that Santa is good to all the families out there – Merry Christmas everyone.”
Appeal coordinator, Observer reporter Kaiya Marjoribanks, said: “The support we receive every year from individuals, drop off points, workplaces and organisations is humbling.
“The staff at Morrisons I know are very supportive of local charities all year round and they are always so willing to take part and offer support. Similarly, the team at McLean and Stewart are only too happy to help the appeal support those less fortunate at Christmas. The amount of toys and gifts we picked up was quite overwhelming.
“We will be busy picking up from drop-off points and other venues in the coming days ready for the charities to collect what they want from us next week, so if anyone still has anything to donate please do so as soon as possible. Many thanks to everyone who has donated so far.”
Running since 2008, the appeal receives and distributes donations of new toys and gifts for sick, disabled, needy and disadvantaged children and young people aged from babies to teenagers.
Collected with the kind support of a host of drop-off points across the area, the gifts are distributed via a wide range of charities, large and small.
Among the charities and good causes which help to distribute gifts are Stirling Council’s social services, Stirling Young Carers, Home-Start Stirling, PLUS, Cornton Vale and Glenochil Family Hubs, Barnardo’s and Stirling Women’s Aid, Forth Valley Royal Hospital’s children’s ward, and Support4Families, as well as several community groups and organisations.
If you would like to organise a collection of gifts at your workplace, school or group, would like to be one of our official drop-off points, or would simply like more information, contact the Observer by phone on (01786) 451110 or email: news@stirlingobserver. co.uk or kaiya.marjoribanks@ reachplc.com.
We will aim to photograph and feature as many collections as possible in the Observer in the run-up to Christmas.
Drop-off points include: STIRLING – Morrisons supermarket, Springkerse Retail Park; Barber Co, 20 Upper Craigs FK8 2DG; Nationwide Building Society, Port Street; Jintz Express, 1, 5 Munro Rd, Stirling FK7 7SY; Waitrose, Burghmuir Retail Park FK7 7NZ; ABERFOYLE Intrepid, Main St, Aberfoyle, FK8 3UG; BALFRON Andrew Anderson & Sons, 64B Buchanan Street G63 0TW; BANNOCKBURN – Jintz Express/Post Office, 17 Quakerfield; CALLANDER Tesco Express, Main Street; DUNBLANE – Beech Tree Cafe, 2 Beech Road; FALLIN - Tesco Express, Stirling Rd FK7 7JW; RAPLOCH - Andrew Anderson & Sons 90 Drip Road FK8 1RN.
•Toys and gifts – Gifts should be new and unused and left unwrapped. This year we would ask supporters not to donate cuddly toys if possible as the charities may have difficulty placing these for health and hygiene reasons.
•Vouchers – Given the current pandemic, we are also giving the option of donating gift cards and vouchers to offer some flexibility to both those donating and to the charities.
Please mail vouchers and cards, marked Stirling Observer Toy Appeal, c/o Kaiya Marjoribanks, Mailroom, One Central Quay, Glasgow, G3 8DA. Please include details of the value of the gift card or voucher. If you would like a confirmation of receipt, provide your name and postal address or email address.
•Drop-off points (see above) - The Observer office is closed for the time being and not one of the drop-off points this year, however, we are grateful to the other drop -off points accepting items.