Be Kind to a Kid this Christmas! Suffolk Libraries and BBC Radio Suffolk relaunch festive toy appeal

Suffolk Libraries and BBC Radio Suffolk have relaunched their Christmas toy appeal for 2024.

The Be Kind to a Kid appeal aims to help make Christmas extra special for some Suffolk families by passing on donations of new toys to children who need them.

The appeal first ran last year and an amazing 2,500 new toys were donated at the county’s libraries and then passed to over 20 local charities and organisations who work with families and children going through difficult times. The appeal was also shortlisted for the Annual Libraries Connected awards.

Suffolk Libraries is again teaming up with BBC Radio Suffolk this year as part of its Warm Welcome cost-of-living support campaign.

Be Kind to a Kid 2024 officially launches on Friday 25 October. All 45 library branches can now accept toy donations to pass on to children who’d appreciate an extra present this Christmas.  

The appeal closes on Friday 6 December to enable Suffolk Libraries time to sort and pass on the toys in time for Christmas. There a few guidelines for the toys to help anyone kind enough to donate toys, to help ensure people get what they need:

• The appeal can only accept brand new toys which have not been hand-made or hand-knitted for health and safety reasons
• Toys should be suitable for any age between 0-12 years old
• Gender neutral toys would be useful to ensure we have a broad mix for everyone – or perhaps one for a boy and one for a girl?
• Toys should not be too big - as a guide something which would fit in a shoebox or bag
• No toys that require batteries or a subscription
• The suggested cost per toy is between £5 and £10 so everyone gets something of roughly the same value.

James Powell, Communications Manager at Suffolk Libraries, said:

“We were overwhelmed with the generosity of those donating toys last year and are once again calling on the people of Suffolk to give a little extra to families and children in need this Christmas. We were blown away by how many people donated toys as well as those who supported the appeal last year including BBC Radio Suffolk our wonderful library staff and the many other organisations who helped or got involved. I’m sure this year will be even better and we can spread a bit of festive kindness throughout the county.”

Charlotte Spackman, Executive Producer at BBC Radio Suffolk, added:

“We are delighted to be working with Suffolk libraries again for the Christmas Toy Appeal 2024. It was such a heartwarming community success last year. Times are still tough and this appeal will make such a difference and put smiles on faces of both children and their parents/carers again this year.”

You can bring your donations to any of the 45 library branches with opening hours and full details on the Suffolk Libraries website.

You can also support the wider Warm Welcome campaign and the work of Suffolk Libraries by making an online donation to help us continue to run our vital services which help communities across the county.