Generous Shrewsbury shoppers donate more than a hundreds toys for town's children this Christmas
Shrewsbury shoppers have dug deep and donated more than a hundred presents to children in the town in a shopping centre campaign.
A total of 135 gifts have been purchased and donated by shoppers at The Darwin shopping centre in Shrewsbury as part of the Santa’s Little Stars Toy Campaign, coordinated by the Little Stars charity.
Visitors also generously donated £210 via the charity’s JustGiving page.
The appeal asked shoppers to donate new, unwrapped toys in their original packaging at various locations at The Darwin including The Collective, The Entertainer, and outside Clarks.
One hundred and twenty-five local children will now receive wrapped Christmas gifts.
The Little Stars' vision is to ensure babies and children across Shropshire have access to the essentials they need to feel safe and secure.
The organisation’s mission is to alleviate the emotional stress and financial pressures families face by providing quality essentials for babies, children, and pregnant women.
Since the charity was formed in 2020, it has supported 1,844 children within the community and handed out 42,314 essential items to children.
Kevin Lockwood, centre manager of The Darwin, said: “Yet again I’m amazed by how generous the people of Shrewsbury can be. This year with the cost of living being so hard for so many people, I’m humbled that people within our community are still so giving.
"I met the team at Little Stars a year ago and was very moved by what they were achieving within Shropshire, and I knew we had to support them however we could.
"A special thanks to our tenants for letting gifts be dropped within their premises and of course to our shoppers for being so kind. This is a very important charity and I know we will continue to support them in the future, in a variety of ways.”
Leanne Simcoe, Little Stars charity director, said: “We are extremely thankful for the support The Darwin has given for our Santa’s Little Stars campaign. The generosity from the shoppers donating to our Christmas campaign has been overwhelming.
"This year we have seen a sharp increase in requests for gifts and have provided presents to 415 children who would otherwise go without. The kindness from everyone involved has ensured that every child referred to us has received a gift this Christmas.
"We are looking forward to continuing our partnership with The Darwin Centre into 2024.”
