Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Observer office is closed for the time being and will not act as a drop-off point.
However, you can still support the appeal at several other drop-off points across the region who have generously offered to accept gifts and take part in this year's appeal.
They are:
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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
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ABERFOYLE – Station Coffee Shop, Main Street
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BALFRON - Andrew Anderson & Sons, 64B Buchanan Street G63 0TW
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BANNOCKBURN – Jintz Express/Post Office, 17 Quakerfield
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DUNBLANE – Beech Tree Cafe, 2 Beech Road
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RAPLOCH - Andrew Anderson & Sons 90 Drip Road FK8 1RN
Any businesses, schools or organisations are also welcome to offer their premises as a drop-off point or to hold their own in-house collections.
Toys and gifts – Gifts should be new and unused and left unwrapped. This year we would ask supporters not to donate cuddly toys as the charities may have difficulty placing these for health and hygiene reasons.
This year, given current Covid restrictions it would be appreciated if as many items as possible are handed in by the end of November to ease the timetable for handling and distribution.
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 ‘Give A Gift’, to Stirling Observer, 40 The Craigs, Stirling, FK8 2DW. 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.
The appeal, which was first launched in 2008, receives and distributes donations of 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.
This year we will also be distributing gift vouchers and gift cards.
Among the charities and good causes which now 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, 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.
