Christmas can be an expensive time for families. Over-50s in the UK have, on average, three grandchildren and are looking to spend £65 on each. Hatchimal is said to be the number one gift on many parents and grandparents’ lists this year.
Some children won’t have lots – or even any – presents to open this Christmas. But thanks to initiatives like The Community Toy Drive by the London Business School’s Community Action Group this is something that can be changed.
The Community Toy Drive, first established in 2009, is organised by London Business School’s Community Action Group with the support of the Student Volunteering Club.
Students, faculty and staff at London Business School will donate hundreds of presents to local children aged between 0 and 12 years in the run-up to the Christmas holiday.
They buy gifts for children who are living in areas of greatest social need or are currently being treated at St Mary’s Hospital paediatric intensive care unit. Parts of Marylebone are among the top 5% most disadvantaged areas in England, with high levels of unemployment, crime and inadequate housing.
This is the eighth year the School has run the toy drive and so far more than 3,000 toys have been donated.
The Dean and Santa last year
Tina Clark, Chair of London Business School’s Community Action Group, thinks the toy drive is a great way for people to give back. She said, “Busy people struggle to find time to volunteer. That’s the beauty of the toy drive; it’s a relatively simple way for a busy person to contribute, and when multiplied many times over, it makes quite an impact.”
