Big-hearted staff at the Dumfries Marks & Spencer store are again supporting the Standard’s Christmas Toy Appeal – the region’s longest running – which is underway for the next few weeks.
New store manager Tracy Clifford and her team of toy appeal stalwarts have set up a collection point near the coffee shop.
Look out for our appeal poster and their Christmas tree, which is hung with our distinctive red tags bearing the names and ages of under-privileged children and young people in Dumfriesshire communities who deserve a gift to unwrap on Christmas morning.
All you have to do is take off a tag and add it to an appropriate gift you’ve bought for the age and sex of the children – then leave it at the tree and we’ll do the rest.
We are keen to fill the lists of children disadvantaged by poverty and given to us by the agencies we support. Times are extremely tough for all, but we know our amazing readers will want to help again.
We are looking for gifts for babies to teenagers.
Whatever you can give will make a huge difference – but they need to be handed in by Wednesday, December 14.
We are looking for any suitable toys for boys and girls; baby gifts; reading and colouring books; crayons/pencils/felt tips; board games, and sensory toys.
And we need donations of chocolate and sweets, from selection boxes to tubes and packets.
In keeping with health and safety measures, it is essential this year to make sure:
● No second-hand toys
● Toys must be new, unused and sealed, boxed or tagged
●Please do not wrap toys in Christmas paper.
Helping couldn’t be easier.
We have six collection points where toys can be donated during opening hours across Dumfries.
All the collection points feature our posters – so look out for them.
Please leave your donated toys and chocolate in the collection boxes marked for the Dumfries and Galloway Standards Toy Appeal at Morrisons, Dumfries; Tesco, Cuckoo Bridge; Tesco, Peel Centre; and the Nationwide Building Society, Church Crescent.
In addition to Marks & Spencer on Dumfries’ High Street, The Crichton Trust at the Easterbrook Bistro Bar and Spar also has a Christmas trees with our distinctive red tags bearing the names and ages of kids who need a gift.
Our own offices in Park Lane are closed, so please do not send cash or donations there.
Supporters may want to make a cash donation this year rather than have to shop for a toy and you can do this directly into our bank account at the Bank of Scotland in Dumfries either in branch or online using BACS.
You just need to know that the Standard Toy Appeal account number is 10856666 and the sort code is 80-22-60.
Cash or cheque donations can also be handed in at: Tesco, Cuckoo Bridge, marked ‘Dumfries and Galloway Standard Toy Appeal FAO Anne Croucher’, or Morrisons, Dumfries, marked ‘Dumfries and Galloway Standard Toy Appeal FAO Myra Smith’.
If you can help please email: sharon.liptrott@reachplc.com or call 07917516142 to arrange collection and for us to organise a photograph.
