AN appeal launched to ensure the most vulnerable children woke up to a present at Christmas delivered more than £7,000 worth of toys across Britain.
The initiative was the brainchild of Donegal man Stephen Given, an Operations Director for the civil engineering firm Pod-Trak.
Based in the firm’s Manchester office, Mr Given claimed he was inspired to do something for those children who may be facing a bleak Christmas after listening to his daughter talking about her Christmas list for Santa.
With the support of his Pod-Trak colleagues Mr Given launched the ‘Making a Christmas to Remember’ toy appeal last November, inviting people to “donate a gift to a child that might go without one this year”.
Stephen, Rachel and Lily Given delivering to The Hive Youth ZoneThe firm accepted toy and cash donations for weeks, before collating the gifts they had accumulated last month, in the run up to Christmas.
“In the end we raised over £7,000 worth of toys,” Mr Given told The Irish Post.
“It was a great result and we delivered them to Manchester Youth Zone, The Hive Youth Zone Wirral, Salvation Army West Ealing and Salvation Army Greenford.”
Gifts stacked high, ready for distribution in ManchesterHe explained: “Each of those organisations ensured that the toys were delivered to those who need them most.
“I’s great to know that a lot of children will have woken up on Christmas morning with toys who otherwise may have ended up with nothing.”
