Express & Star

Toys delivery for children’s ward

Toys have been donated to a children’s ward in time for Christmas by a generous vending machine company.

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Coinadrink is supporting charity Well Wishers, based within Walsall Manor Hospital, with their Christmas wish list. Pictured (left to right) Tom Williams, Joanne Plack and Simran Salan.

Coinadrink, based in Walsall, bought a range of gifts for youngsters at Walsall Manor Hospital – as well as communal toys and arts and crafts items.

The company decided to pitch in after a Christmas appeal was made by the Well Wishers charity, based at the hospital, due to the impact of Covid-19.

The charity had called for help from businesses to buy gifts on wish lists drawn up children who will be on the ward over Christmas.

Tom Williams, sales and marketing manager of Coinadrink, said they agreed to take part after having supported the charity and hospital earlier this year.

He said: “We’re members of a local business group The Best of Walsall which champions Walsall businesses and Well Wishers was one of their chosen charities.

“At the start of lockdown we looked at how we could support Well Wishers and their feedback from the hospital was there wasn’t anywhere to get decent hot drinks – so we donated six coffee machines to them.

“During the second lockdown we did the same again and a bit before that they had put out their Christmas wish list – for toys for the children who might be spending Christmas there, and items for the play areas.

Coinadrink is supporting charity Well Wishers, based within Walsall Manor Hospital, with their Christmas wish list. Pictured (left to right) Tom Williams, Joanne Plack and Simran Salan.

"They did the appeal through The Best of Walsall so we decided to take part and contribute.

"About 70 per cent of the items are suitable to be given out as Christmas gifts and the other 30 per cent is for the communal areas.”

Mr Williams said he used to be a store manager at Toys R Us before joining Coinadrink and managed to use his contacts to get a 20 per cent off voucher to use at The Entertainer – helping to stretch their money further.

He added staff at the hospital were “over the moon” with the donation – with some items being better than what they had been expecting, or had wished for on their Christmas list appeal, when they dropped the gifts off.

The Well Wishers is the official registered charity of Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust and all money raised is spent to improve the health and well being of patients across the Trust’s services.

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