Difficult years make Observer Give a Gift appeal more important than ever

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A challenging few years has made the Stirling Observer Give A Gift Appeal ever more vital at Christmas.

While support for the appeal has grown year on year, widening the reach to local charities and good causes, organisations say the need has also grown.

Stirling Observer reporter Kaiya Marjoribanks said: “The level of donations we receive year on year has grown considerably since the very first appeal in 2008, which has enabled us to support more and more local charities and good causes consistently every year.

“However, the need for the gifts has also risen over that time and we are eternally grateful to our readers and supporters for helping us to meet that growing demand year after year and, of course, to all the drop-off points who make it all possible.

“We are always humbled by how much support people still appear to be prepared to offer. However, it is always an anxious time in terms of hoping we can meet the growing demand and requests at least as far as possible.

“We know it’s not possible to reach every child or family in need but with the wide reach of the many and varied charities and good causes who now receive toys and gifts from the Give A Gift Appeal we do our utmost to reach that goal.

“Every single item in the last few years has been collected to go to children and families - and we always know the demand isn’t exhaustive.

“We have received donations of everything from art materials to bikes and games consoles over the years - and every single thing is appreciated and finds a home.”

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 newborn babies right up 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 many charities and good causes which help to distribute the gifts every year are: Stirling Young Carers; Home-Start Stirling which supports families with young children going through difficult times; Stirling Women’s Aid; Stirling Council social services; PLUS, which provides social opportunities for children and young people with disabilities; Stirling HMP and Glenochil Family Support Hubs; FVRH children’s ward; Support4Families, which helps families affected by a loved one’s drug or alcohol misuse; CHAS; and more.

In recent years groups and foodbanks set up by local volunteers in the Observer circulation area including CRAG (Cowie), Polmaise Community Council, and Love in a Box, have also been able to receive toys from the appeal for children and families they support, and other one off requests have been fulfilled.

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, email: news@stirlingobserver.co.uk or kaiya.marjoribanks@reachplc.com or call any of the editorial contact numbers on page 2 of today’s edition.

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 to allow charities to choose for individual children. Cuddly toys should be kept to a minimum if possible as some charities have difficulty placing these for health and hygiene reasons.

•Vouchers – Since the Covid pandemic, we have also given the option of donating gift cards and vouchers to offer some flexibility to both those donating and to the charities. These can be sent to Stirling Observer Give A Gift Appeal, c/o Stirling Observer, Give A Gift Appeal, Reach plc, 55 Douglas Street, Glasgow G2 7NP. Please include details of the value of the gift card or voucher. If you would like a confirmation of receipt, please provide your name and postal address or email address.

•Drop-off points include: STIRLING – Morrisons supermarket, Springkerse Retail Park; Nationwide Building Society, Port Street; Waitrose, Burghmuir Retail Park FK7 7NZ; ABERFOYLE Breagha By Nic craft shop, 1-4 Main Street; BALFRON Andrew Anderson & Sons, 64B Buchanan Street G63 0TW; BANNOCKBURN – Jintz Express/Post Office, 17 Quakerfield; BRIDGE OF ALLAN - Andrew Anderson & Sons, 71 Henderson Street FK9 4HG; 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.

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