Welcome to Charity Case

The Toy Appeal & NCVS Christmas Fayre

Every year the local paper 'The Standard' promote a toy appeal. This is an annual Christmas event to encourage people to buy 1 extra gift, and donate it to the toy appeal. These gifts are then distributed across Dumfries and Galloway, to children that, otherwise, may have gone without a present that year.

This is done in co-ordination with local social services and whichever organisation that is co-ordinating the appeal, and doing the collections, wrapping and distribution. In 2004 when Craig and I were involved it was the NCVS.

We were involved through meeting the co-ordinator for the event this year, Tricia Oakes. She was the manager of the NCVS charity shop, and was given the task of co-ordinating the Toy Appeal, and organising the annual Christmas fayre.

We offered our help, and whilst I designed the poster for the Toy Appeal (above), Craig got involved in the sorting and wrapping of presents, and helping out in the charity shop.

With the Christamas Fayre, I designed the poster again, and also designed the leaflets (above). Whilst Craig made up loads of baskets for the NCVS stall at the fayre. Once the fayre was finished, it was announced that the stall that year had made MORE money than ever before, this was put down to the organising and Craigs baskets.

The Standard promote the event annually and local businesses are encouraged to support the event. This they do by becoming a collection point, this they do by setting up an area where a Christmas tree is set up, and red labels with kids names and ages are written on them. people then take a label and go and buy a gift for that child, attach the label and then drop it off at one of the collection point shops.

Each year since 2004, MATALAN, where I work (Steven), have been a collection point. The staff aswell as customers get involved, buying gifts and attaching labels, this is always done with goodwill, and the feeling of knowing that a child in the area, this year is going to get a christmas gift, bought and sent with love.

In 2004, Craig and I were doing a weekly quiz at The Cavens Arms, this was to help our friends establish their new business, and also to help raise money for Cash for Kids. From mid October 2004 we decided that the money we raised would be saved up and toys would be bought for the toy appeal. Just befor the cut off point in December Anthony (the bar manager) took all the toys (above) and handed them over to Tricia Oakes, the Toy Appeal co-ordinator.

We have continued to support the Standard Toy Appeal, annually, through our full time jobs, Craig Via Richmond Fellowship and Steven via MATALAN.

Name *

Email Address *

Telephone Number

Subject *

Comments *

* denotes a required field.