Stirling’s community is rallying once again to ensure children and young people facing a host of difficulties will at least have a better festive season.
Not only does the appeal exist to ensure no child goes without a gift on Christmas morning, it also aims to show vulnerable and disadvantaged young people – and their families – that their community and neighbours care.
Appeal coordinator, Observer reporter Kaiya Marjoribanks said: “Every year we acknowledge that part of the reason for the appeal is to show youngsters and their families that their community is not oblivious to their struggles and admires their bravery.
“This is not just about giving a child or young person a gift to open – it’s about making them and their parents or carers feel less isolated.
“Christmas is often a time when many children and their families feel more isolated than ever as they see others apparently enjoying activities while they feel on the sidelines. That can be for financial reasons, illness or disability or personal circumstance.
“That’s why we strive to provide toys and gifts to as many local charities and good causes as possible. It’s also a thank you to them for the work they do all year round.
“Stirling Young Carers, for example, has been involved in the appeal since 2008. Young people with caring responsibilities miss out on a great deal, and many of them saw their caring roles increase massively over the pandemic, but the charity does an incredible job of supporting them.
“Being able to give these terrific young people a gift helps to acknowledge that their efforts are recognised and admired by the wider community and that people really do care for carers.
“Many other organisations and charities have been involved from the beginning, but also over the years we have been able to bring on more, including many local community groups and foodbanks.
“Whatever the reasons that children may need our help, the one common denominator is that none of them have any control over their circumstances, so it’s up to those of us who can help to lighten their load.”
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; and more.
In recent years several 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: [email protected] or [email protected] 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; Stirling Community Enterprise, 146 Drip Road FK8 1RW.