Organisers of an annual Christmas toy appeal say they have seen a “stark rise in both support and demand” this year.
Belfast Central Mission (BCM) has been spreading the magic of Christmas through the festive initiative for the past 30 years and recently have worked alongside St Vincent de Paul to promote the appeal further.
This year they say that their sorting base has seen “unprecedent volumes of new gift donations”.
Alan Irwin from BCM said they have been “absolutely blown away by the level of donations this year”.
“It is the first year since Covid that we have held the appeal at our traditional Grosvenor Hall base just behind the Royal Opera House,” he said.
“The increase in scale compared to when we last held it here is notable.
“One of the most heart-warming aspects is the multitude of children and young people who have themselves collected and donated, with one young fundraiser aiming to collect 200 new toys through her school this year.”
The appeal is driven through support by Stormont’s Department for Communities, who voluntarily lead on the sorting and packing of presents.
Most gifts are directly donated from places of work, churches and fundraisers.
This year BCM expects to have sent out upwards of 5,000 gift packs for children, alongside many food vouchers to support with the cost of living.
Mr Irwin added: “We are also seeing a stark rise in the volume of requests coming through our community partners.
“Community centres that would normally request around 20 gift packs have tended to ask for 40 or more this year, and so we are seeing more and more families who just don’t have the means to spend significant amounts on Christmas.
“This appeal is to support people experiencing poverty to better prioritise their finances over the festive period.
“We also work with the statutory agencies to ensure that children without family have a gift pack at Christmas time.”
Fundraising for the appeal continues until New Year’s Eve, and people can support by visiting www.justgiving.com/campaign/givingtree23
