Donations to the Observer’s Give A Gift Appeal have started coming in to drop-off points across the area.
Some new drop-off points have joined the list this year - including the Waitrose store in Stirling and Tesco Express in Fallin.
They join a host of long-standing drop off points who have been pivotal in helping to gather in the toys and gifts over the last 13 years.
The full list now includes: 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 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.
Reporter Kaiya Marjoribanks said: “Businesses have had to face unimaginable challenges over the last 20 months, so to see the enthusiasm from these and so many other businesses and drop-off points is all the more appreciated.
“Every year they respond with great enthusiasm regardless of the circumstances and we feel very fortunate to have them on board.
“We are also grateful to have been contacted by businesses eager to come on board as new drop-off points. It’s great to see retailers and businesses so happy to help at such a busy time of year.
“Having drop-off points as widely spread as possible across our circulation area hopefully makes it easier for people in those areas to donate given that readers and individuals, of course, play an enormous part in the appeal.”
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.
The appeal also aims to respond to any one-off approaches from organisations which deal with children or young people whom they feel may be facing a difficult festive season. It also exists to ease the pressure many charities face over the festive season, allowing them to put resources they may otherwise have had to use for gifts into their other areas of good work.
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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.
- 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.
