A scheme to collect "pre-loved" toys for Christmas to help struggling families is to be launched in Belfast under council plans.
The pilot initiative will accept donations of a range of toys at the city council's four recycling centres in the run-up to the festive season.
The second-hand toys will be assessed by East Belfast Mission and distributed to other charities and organisations for sale to the public at a reduced rate or gifted depending on uptake.
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Green Party councillor Áine Groogan, who proposed the scheme, said that "nobody should miss out on the chance to play because of financial uncertainty".
The Botanic area representative said: "Thousands of families across Belfast are feeling the cost-of-living pinch, and this scheme will help ensure that kids still get a chance to play with great toys.
"Kids can outgrow bikes, dolls and puzzles quickly. We all remember going through phases when we were young, with different toys for different points in our lives. This scheme will allow kids to share the joy from their toys with others.
"The scheme will also help reduce waste, ensuring that toys go on to be loved and used, not just chucked in the bin.
"Nobody should miss out on the chance to play because of financial uncertainty.
"This will be a great scheme for Belfast kids. I am really proud of having brought this plan forward, and am grateful to council staff and colleagues for their support."
The proposal was agreed by the council's People and Communities Committee on Tuesday evening.
In a report to councillors the scheme was described as an "attempt to ease the burden on families during the current cost-of-living crisis and reduce waste sent to landfill during this period".
It is expected that the toys will be collected in November before being distributed to charities and organisations.
An online publicity campaign will inform the public which toys are suitable for the scheme, according to the proposals.
Council officials have discussed the scheme with counterparts in neighbouring local authorities which have operated similar initiatives in recent years in a bid to fast-track the plans.
The council report added: "In discussion with neighbouring councils it was evident that they viewed such schemes as valuable contributors to assisting families at a time of year when financial constraints are at play and from a waste perspective the initiative also places a positive emphasis on re-use and landfill diversion.
"At the end of the pilot the scheme will be evaluated to determine its success and any learning points will be captured and considered in any similar future schemes."
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