Despite many families suffering hardship due to the current financial climate, the local community has donated as generously as ever to the B31 Voices and Morrisons Christmas Toy Appeal.
A total of seven shopping trolleys stuffed with gifts have been donated over the last few weeks and passed to three local charities to distribute to children in need across south west Birmingham.
[Cover image (L-R): Sam Marshall (NFS); Jane Williams (Community Champion Morrisons Rubery); Cllr Alex Aitken (Kings Norton North, NFS); Gary Reed (B31 Voices); Cllr Olly Armstrong (Northfield, NFS)]
Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid supports women who have suffered domestic violence and their children.
Once again the lovely people at @B31Voices and @Morrisons Rubery have done us proud with these amazing toy donations. Thanks in particular to Jane and Sas
pic.twitter.com/tyj4PmeWuB
— Bham&SolWomen’s Aid (@bswaid) December 4, 2020
Northfield Food Service was set up in October by Cllrs Olly Armstrong (Northfield) and Alex Aitken (Kings Norton North) to ensure local children who needed them were able to receive prepared meals during school holidays. Working with Digbeth Dining Club and local businesses, NFS now delivers meals every Thursday in term time too and is continuing to support families over the Christmas period.
Cllr Armstrong said: “All of us at Northfield Food Service are massively grateful for these gifts of toys for kids having a tough time this Christmas. We will be sending them out alongside hundreds of meals and packs of chocolates. It’s wonderful so many have stepped up to help – so many are now struggling through the pandemic.”
The Frankley based branch of Bromsgrove’s New Starts charity provides services supporting south west Birmingham residents who are suffering housing crisis and poverty or recovering from homelessness. During the pandemic they have supported local people with almost 40,000 meals through their food parcels.
Chief Executive Marion Kenyon said: “We are so grateful for all the toys donated. It has been wonderful to watch parents being able to choose presents for their children and those who have donated have made that possible.”
Jane Williams, Community Champion at Morrisons in Rubery, said: “This year, we were unsure what effect COVID-19 would have on the Toy Appeal collection. Many families are suffering from the financial, emotional and physical effects of COVID, but members of our local community, businesses and our staff have really stepped up and shown their generosity yet again. It’s so humbling to be in a job where I am able to help bring this together for the community.”
B31 Voices’ Sas Taylor said: “We just want to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to all who have donated to the toy appeal this year – in gifts or with cash donations – in spite of the issues we are all facing at the moment.
“It’s an honour to be able to be part of something which supports local children and we thank Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid, New Starts and Northfield Food Service for all the hard work they have put in in 2020, supporting those in need in our communities.”
Sas added: “We want to add a special thanks to Community Champion Jane Williams. She does so much for the community on behalf of Morrisons and has gone above and beyond her role yet again this year – not just for the toy appeal but supporting the community more than ever before during the COVID pandemic.”