Help a child! Donate unsuitable gifts to Barnardo’s gift amnesty
If Santa didn’t quite get it right this year, delivering the wrong size jumper or multiple copies of the same DVD boxset, don’t hoard your unsuitable presents – deliver them to Barnardo’s gift amnesty.
It can be difficult to buy presents for friends and family and there are times when gifts are wonderful thoughts – but just not right.
60 million unwanted gifts
Pic: iStockphoto
So, with a new survey revealing that more than 60 million unwanted presents are given every year, at a cost of £380 million*, leading children’s charity Barnardo’s is urging people to donate the presents which aren’t quite their cup of tea.
Simply donate those leather-look leggings or cartoon slippers to the charity’s gift amnesty at your nearest Barnardo’s shop. You’ll be safe in the knowledge that you are helping to support vulnerable children across the UK.
What your gift could do
The value of those unsuitable gifts really does add up and could provide vital support for the hundreds of thousands of children Barnardo’s helps every year:
- An £18 cookbook could pay for three young carers to enjoy an afternoon of respite from their caring duties, giving them the chance to relax and meet other children.
- That £20 DVD boxset you’ve already got could help to pay for an outreach worker for a vulnerable child
- The £50 too-big jumper could help pay for a senior specialist to spend an hour working one-to-one with a child to help them recover from sexual exploitation
- £180 worth of unsuitable console games could help cover monthly travel card costs for nine children, so they can afford to come to Barnardo’s to see their child sexual exploitation specialist.
- The £250 television that doesn’t fit on your television stand could help buy clothing and baby essentials for a care leaver with a newborn baby.
Do something special
Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said, “It can be difficult to buy the perfect present for a family member or friend.
“So, if you unwrap something that doesn’t quite fit or just isn’t right for you, do something special and donate the gift to your nearest Barnardo’s shop. This will help raise vital funds so we can continue to support hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable children across the UK.
“On behalf of everyone at Barnardo’s, thank you for your support and we wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.”
Join in the gift amnesty! Find your nearest Barnardo’s shop
Sarah Proctor
I've worked on a variety of regional newspapers and national magazines. My Weekly and Your Best Ever Christmas are fantastic, warm-hearted brands with an amazing, talented team. I'm a sub-editor and particularly love working on cookery, fiction and advice pages - I feel I should know all the secrets of eternal life, health and happiness by now, but hey, we all need that regular reminder!
