Help for Darlaston and Willenhall families through The Salvation Army Christmas Present Appeal
The Salvation Army is calling on the communities in Darlaston and Willenhall to share love and hope this Christmas by donating new toys to its Christmas Present Appeal to help give children a Christmas they deserve.
Every year Salvation Army churches ask people to donate new toys and gifts for children whose families are already making impossible choices between food, heating, and bills.
Last year, Birmingham and the Black Country Salvation Army distributed more than 1,180 toy parcels, containing over 7500 individual gifts. This year the church and charity in Darlaston and Willenhall are together hoping to give about 500 toy parcels, fearing more people in the area will need support this year.
Lee Highton-Nicholls, Salvation Army church leader in Darlaston and Willenhall said: “Our Christmas Present Appeal is an opportunity for people in our community to embrace the spirit of Christmas and give to families and individuals who have very little.
“Christmas is meant to be a time of love and joy, but for many it’s a time of stress and despair when financial worries are brought into sharp focus for families who are struggling to heat their homes, let alone provide presents for their children.
“The Christmas present appeal is how we put our belief into action, showing love where it’s needed most. We believe every child deserves to experience joy on Christmas morning. We are always overwhelmed by the generosity of the public in supporting our appeal each year and we hope you continue to do so to ensure every child wakes up on Christmas Day with a smile on their face.”
The churches on The Leys Darlaston WS10 8DP (open Monday 9am – 11am, Tuesday 9am – 2pm, Wednesday 9am – 2pm, Thursday 7pm – 9pm), and Field St Willenhall WV13 2PD (open Sunday 9am – 1pm, Monday 6pm – 8pm, Tuesday 9am – 2pm, Thursday 9am – 2pm) will be collecting donations of new unwrapped toys till Sunday, December 7. They accept toys for all ages of children but are in real need of toys for babies, and teenage boys.
People can drop their generous contribution at church addresses above, or make a donation via JustGiving or Amazon wishlist
The Salvation Army will sort and distribute the gifts to children and families in the area through local groups, schools and social services.
Gifts can include anything from educational toys, baby clothes, bath toys, books, including learn to read books (for babies and toddlers) to dolls and action figures, sports equipment and clothing, toiletries (please try to ensure non-allergic ingredients if possible), gloves, scarves, hats, T-shirts, hair accessories and gift vouchers for older children.
People can also donate through The Entertainer’s Big Toy appeal between November 1-29. Customers can buy an extra toy to donate when they visit a store or shop online at TheToyShop.com. For each toy donated, The Entertainer will also add a toy, doubling the number for children who might go without. Each Entertainer store is connected with a local Salvation Army church or centre who will collect and distribute the toys as part of the wider Christmas Present Appeal.
Darlaston and Willenhall | The Salvation Army will host a number of free festive events for everyone to attend:
Darlaston
Community Carols at Town Hall, featuring Brass Band, Community Choir on Saturday, December 13.
Christmas Carol Service on Thursday, December 18 at 7pm
Messy Christmas (Messy church) on Tuesday, December 23, 10am – 11:30am
Willenhall
Visit of St Giles School Choir to sing Christmas songs on Thursday, December 4 at 11am -all welcome to this free concert including refreshments
Free Lunchtime Christmas Concert on Wednesday, December 17 at 1.30pm - featuring brass band and soloist (TBC)
Carol service including the Christmas Nativity play by our young people on Sunday, December 21 at 5pm
A church and charity, The Salvation Army expresses its Christian faith by offering friendship, practical help and support to some of the most disadvantaged people in our communities. To help support The Salvation Army’s year-round work please visit: salvationarmy.org.uk/donate
For more information about the Christmas Present Appeal and ideas about gifts, see our website: salvationarmy.org.uk/christmas-present-appeal
