Help for Oldbury families through The Salvation Army Christmas Present Appeal
The Salvation Army is calling on the community in Oldbury 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 1180 toy parcels, containing over 7500 individual gifts. This year the church and charity in Oldbury is hoping to give about 300 toy parcels, fearing more people in the area will need support this year.
Lieutenants Deborah and Jon Hampton, leaders at Oldbury Salvation Army church 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 church on Merton Close Oldbury B68 8NG will be collecting donations of new unwrapped toys items for all ages of children, but are conscious that gifts for teenage boys ages 10-12 are usually in short supply. They are open to drop-offs until Sunday 7 December.
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 1 and to 29 November. 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.
Oldbury | The Salvation Army will host a number of festive events open to everyone:
Community Pantomime ‘A Child in a Manger’. Sunday 7 December. 5pm. Tickets are free but attendees are encouraged to donate a new toy for the appeal.
Christmas Messy Church Friday 12 December. 5pm.
The Traditional Carol Service will take place on Sunday 21 December at 6pm, featuring the Christmas Story, carol singing, the choir, The Salvation Army Band, and timbrels.
The venue of these events is The Salvation Army Oldbury Merton Close Oldbury B68 8NG.
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: https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/christmas-present-appeal
