Toys & Teens gift appeal 2023: How to donate

Some families may be worrying about heating bills as temperatures drop, others may be thinking about the cost of all the Christmas food. Others may be wondering how to tell their children that Santa may not be able to visit this year as parent struggle to fund their presents.

This is where Reading Family Aid’s Toys & Teens appeal, sponsored by the Reading Chronicle, hopes to step in and help gift thousands of presents to families in need this Christmas.

Fundraising manager for the charity Ruth Perkins said: “There are more and more families finding themselves in difficulties, families that prior to the cost of living going up so dramatically were managing just about and are now finding they can’t manage.

“There are many families every week becoming homeless being put up in B&Bs or hotels. It’s astonishing in a town like Reading which seems on the face of it quite an affluent place.

“In these families the kids go to school, they talk to their friends about what they hope to get for Christmas. These kids without all of the people that support us, they wouldn’t get anything. And that’s really tough to go back to school after the Christmas holidays and say I didn’t get anything for Christmas”.

More than 3,000 children and young adults were supported by the gift appeal last year and were able to receive a present on Christmas morning thanks to the efforts of everyone who donated.

The appeal could not happen without the support of countless local companies, whose staff go out of their way to help disadvantaged children enjoy Christmas. One such company is Roc Search, who have been supporting the appeal for an incredible seven years! Trevor Doran, Chief Growth Officer said: “Our partnership with Reading Family Aid over the last seven years is something we are all incredibly proud of here at Roc Search – which is why we are once again supporting their efforts this year.

“Witnessing the profound impact their Toys & Teens Appeal has on countless disadvantaged children and families in the local community is truly inspiring. By supporting them in their efforts to collect these toys and donations, we are helping to create cherished Christmas memories for those in need.

“It’s an honour to be a part of. As a business we’ve been able to collect thousands of toys over the years thanks to the generosity of our employees, clients and friends. We encourage as many people as possible to get involved and help make this holiday season brighter for all.”

This year the appeal is accepting new and nearly new toys at 34 donation points across Reading and the surrounding areas. These toys and gifts will be distributed to disadvantaged children in Reading and the surrounding area, ready to be opened on Christmas day.

The appeal has not yet reached its target for toy donations, and the charity is appealing to supporters and the public to please help this Christmas. Anything gift you give will make a huge difference to the happiness of a child this year.

The Toys and Teens Appeal 2023 is collecting funds via an online fundraiser for those who cannot donate present at any drop off points. The Go Fund Me will help buy gifts for children age groups less represented among the gift donations.

More details on what can be donated at: readingfamilyaid.org/toys-and-gifts-we-would-love-and-those-we-cant-use.html

Or find the GoFundMe page at https://gofund.me/292470f4

Donation drop off points:

• New Homes Flooring, Unit 2, Heron Industrial
Estate, Basingstoke Road, Spencers Wood
Mon to Fri 0700 to 1700
• Oakwood Centre, Headley Road, Woodley
Mon to Thurs 0900 to 1630, Fri 0900 to 1600
• Reading Central Library, Abbey Square, Reading
(collection box by Library Helpdesk)
Mon & Fri 1000 to 1700, Tues & Thurs 1000 to
1900, Sat 1000 to 1500
• Rising Sun, Bath Road, Woolhampton
Mon to Sun 0800 to 2000 (note: private
residence, items to be left in car port)
• Skipton Building Society, Queen Victoria
Street, Reading
Mon & Tues 0930 to 1630, Wed 1000 to 1630,
Thurs & Fri 0930 to 1630, Sat 0930 to 1200
• Southcote Library, Southcote Community Hub,
Coronation Square, Southcote
Tues 0900 to 1200 & 1300 to 1900, Thurs 0900
to 1200 & 1300 to 1600, Fri 0900 to 1200, Sat
1000 to 1300
• Street Food Shack, 33 High Street, Theale
Mon to Fri 1100 to 2100, Sat 1200 to 2100
• Tesco Extra, Portman Road, Reading
Mon to Sat 0600 to midnight, Sun 1000 to 1600
• Tilehurst Library, School Road, Tilehurst
Mon 0900 to 1700, Tues 0900 to 1200, Thurs
1300 to 1900, Sat 1000 to 1500
• Weller Centre, 110 Amersham Road,
Caversham
Mon to Fri 0830 to 1600
• Community Café within the South Reading
Community Hub, 252 Northumberland Avenue,
Reading. Mon to Fri 0830 to 1530
• Woodley Library, Headley Road, Woodley
Mon 0900 to 1300, Tues/Wed/Fri 0900 to 1700, Thurs 0900 to 1900, Sat 0930 to 1600
• Royal Berkshire Archives, Coley Ave
Tues - Thurs 9am to 4:30pm Friday 
• Leighton Park School, Shinfield Road, Reading RG2 7ED
Mon to Fri 0800 to 1700 (term time only) 
• Battle Library, 420 Oxford Road, Reading
Tues 1300 to 1900, Thurs 0900 to 1700, Fri 0900
to 1200, Sat 1000 to 1500
• Big Yellow Storage, 27 Rose Kiln Lane
Mon - Fri 0830 to 1730, Sat 0900 to 1730, Sun
1000 to 1600
• Boots, Bath Road, Calcot, Reading
Mon to Fri 0800 to 2000, Sat 0800 to 1700, Sun
1000 to 1600
• Caversham Library, Church Road, Caversham
Tues & Fri 0900 – 1700, Thurs 1300 to 1900, Sat
1000 to 1500
• Christ Church Centre, 46 Reading Road,
Henley-on-Thames
Mon to Fri 0900 to 1700
• Civic Centre, Bridge Street, Reading
Mon to Fri 1000 to 1700
• Co-op Food, Bramshill Close, Aborfield
Mon to Sat 0700 to 2300, Sun 0800 to 1600
• Co-operative Childcare Nursery, Valpy Street,
Reading
Mon to Fri 0730 to 1800
• Earley Crescent Resource Centre, Warbler
Drive, Earley
Mon - Thurs 0830 to 1800, Fri 0830 to 1530, Sat
0830 to 1200
• Fourbears Books, 20 Prospect Street,
Caversham
Tues to Sat 0930 to 1630, Sun 1100 to 1430
• Leighton Park School, Shinfield Road, Reading
Mon to Fri 0800 to 1700 (term time only)
• Museum of English Rural Life, 6 Redlands Rd,
Reading. Tues to Fri 9-5, Sat & Sun 10-5