Lidl is to open toy banks in all its UK stores in the run up to Christmas so that children from struggling families can receive gifts.
The retailer is launching the new toy donation drive following research, in partnership with Neighbourly. According to the study, eight in 10 charities and community groups said toys and games were one of the most needed items to help serve their communities over the festive period - second only to food.
From November 3, Lidl will open toy banks across its stores nationwide. Customers will be able to drop off new and unopened toys and games, to be presented to children who need support in their area. Donations can be anything from a small stocking filler to something bigger. Sought-after items include toys, games, books, puzzles, and arts and crafts, for a range of ages.
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Toys will then be collected by charities participating in Lidl’s ‘Feed it Back’ scheme, coordinated by Neighbourly, alongside the food they pick up weekly. They will then be donated via charities and community groups, such as food banks and community centres, reports Leicestershire Live.
In addition, the supermarket has committed £250,000 for charities during the festive period – including a £125,000 donation for the toy bank initiative – and has pledged to donate more meals than ever over Christmas. Lidl GB will also donate a selection of festive food items as part of its regular food donations.
Existing charity partnerships will be prioritised for these festive collections but, where there’s availability, other organisations are being invited to apply to be paired with a Lidl store to collect toys and fresh and chilled food products – including fruit, vegetables, fresh meat, fish, and bread – ahead of stores closing on Christmas Eve.
Ryan McDonnell, chief executive officer at Lidl GB, said: "It has always been our firm belief that each and every one of our stores must have a positive impact on its community. This year, we wanted to find a meaningful way to help these communities - and so we listened to the 1,500 local charities, food banks and community groups we partner with and heard clearly what they needed: food, toys, and access to funds.
"As a business we are proud to be able to address all three needs. We are launching toy banks in all our stores, pledging 1m meals and we will be making £250k available for charities through a Neighbourly donation and our community fund.
"Our hope is that by rolling out the toy donation points we are making it easier, for those customers who can, to donate directly to local good causes by giving them a small way to make a real difference and help those that need it the most."
Steve Butterworth, CEO of Neighbourly, added: "Our latest community survey has highlighted the financial strain that many families are facing this winter. With local charities seeing a drop in both food and financial donations, any support that Lidl customers can give is going to be critical. For many families, Christmas gifts will be something they will struggle to afford, so a scheme like this which alleviates some of the worry for parents will make a huge difference."
Lidl toy banks will be accepting donations from November 3 until Friday, December 16, when all the toys will be collected for distribution. Charities, community groups and food banks can register interest now to receive surplus food and toy donations this Christmas at www.neighbourly.com/service/good-causes
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