Your kind support needed more than ever for Stirling Observer 2024 Give a Gift Appeal

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Support has started to roll in for the 16th annual Stirling Observer Give A Gift Appeal.

But demand grows year on year, with more charities and good causes also getting in touch seeking our help.

The appeal always gathers in a wide variety of gifts for children and young people aged from newborns to teenagers.

Stirling Observer reporter Kaiya Marjoribanks said: “In more recent years there have been more people in need, but of course that also means fewer people may be in a position to help.

“We are exceptionally grateful, therefore, to those who feel they are still able to donate.

“We have been lucky enough to be able to take on more and more charities and good causes every year, and we desperately want to fulfill all new requests while ensuring those longstanding organisations who have received support year on year continue to do so.

“We are often asked what sort of items are needed and for ideas of what people should donate.

“The truth is, over the last few years every single item has found a home and a purpose. The scope of the charities and good causes involved - and the individuality of the children and young people they support - is such that there is never an issue placing items.

“In general, on collection day we have items separated out as much as possible purely to help the charity representatives find what they are looking for as best as possible - for example, board games, jigsaws, arts and crafts, sweets and selection boxes, cars, footballs, dolls, Lego sets, books.

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“We have found homes for everything from sensory toys for children with disabilities to toiletry sets and hairdriers for teenagers. In fact, having a great range of things is often important.”

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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