Toys for Joy: Canary Wharf’s ELBA Toy Appeal Returns for Another Year of Christmas Cheer – 20.11.24

• The ELBA Toy Appeal returns to Canary Wharf for its fifth year 
• Donate a present to a child in your local area this festive period 

Tuesday 19^th November: This festive season Londoners are invited to spread some Christmas cheer to those who need it most, by donating a gift to a local child through the annual East London Business Alliance (ELBA) Toy Appeal.  

Canary Wharf is hosting its fifth yearly Toy Appeal with ELBA and BIG Alliance, inviting members of the public to donate a newly bought gift, which will be wrapped and hand delivered to a local child who might have otherwise gone without a Christmas present this year.

Last year an incredible 18,000 toys were donated by those who live, visit and work at the Wharf, supporting 117 community organisations but unfortunately the number of organisations needing support only increases every year.  The donated toys are given to children who are most in need, some of which are fleeing domestic violence, living in emergency accommodation, refugees and children with disabilities and additional needs.

The appeal will run until Friday 20^th December, with the toy drop off point at Level -1 Jubilee Place mall. Those who are unable to visit in-person can donate online through the JustGiving page, and the volunteers will buy a present on their behalf.   

Following the 2022 Appeal, Julie Pell at Walthamstow Salvation Army said: “We have seen a 500% increase since Covid hit and the cost-of-living crisis means that referrals have stayed at the same level and continue to increase. We are in an area where, after housing costs are taking out of the family budget, 50% of children live in poverty which is catastrophic for the wellbeing and health of children. Gifts may not seem that important in the scheme of this situation, but actually they allow families an opportunity to enjoy a season that would otherwise be so very difficult.” 

Smera Nadeem, Head of Programmes at Challenge:ELBA, says, “The Toy Appeal has been an annual festive event run by ELBA for as long as staff can remember. What started as a small under the desk collection, now holds a very prominent feature within CWG and their festive program. Since being hosted by CWG, the average number of toys donated has almost doubled from an average of 10,000 pre-pandemic to over 17,000 in the past 3 years (over 21,000 toys were donated in 2020).   

Having a public facing shop front, which provides more visibility, has not only helped increased exposure and increased the donated number of toys, it has also allowed more community organisations to access the appeal, helping them to provide toys for their service users, many of whom might have otherwise gone without a toy this year. In the current economic climate, the need is greater than ever before. We have seen a large increase in toys requested from community organisations across East London and hope to meet this need through the generosity of CWG, corporate businesses and employees- without you all, the festive season will see much less smiles on children’s faces. A massive thank you in advance for all the support!” 

Jane Hollinshead, Chief People Officer at Canary Wharf Group, says, “We’re delighted to be supporting the ELBA Toy Appeal for a fifth year, a cause that does so much good for local families during this festive period, surprising children with some much-deserved joy.  Our community of workers, residents and visitors consistently support the Toy Appeal each year, so we’re looking forward to seeing faces old and new get involved by donating this winter.” 

As well as donating the space to facilitate the Toy Appeal, Canary Wharf Group staff will be busy volunteering at the Toy Appeal Grotto and in the local community. Projects include the East End Community Foundation’s Winter Bag Appeal which supports residents who are vulnerable to the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis. 

Full opening times for toy and gift donations: 

Toy Appeal drop off point: Jubilee Place Level -1  

Monday 18th November – Friday 20th December 

Opening Times: Monday – Saturday: 10am – 4pm; Sunday: Closed 

Toy Appeal asks for gift donations within the following guidelines: 

• New toys between the value of £10 and £15 

• Please ensure the presents are unwrapped. This is so community organisations can choose which children the gifts are most suited to 

• Toys should have the Lion Mark CE to show they are child friendly and safe for use 

• No toys that require batteries. It’s ok if the toy comes with batteries included 

• No war toys or toys that portray fighting such as tanks, soldiers and guns. Some children may be asylum seekers fleeing war. Star Wars and superheroes are fine 

• No iTunes/Google Play vouchers. Most children that benefit from the Toy Appeal won’t have access to an account. Cinema vouchers are more appropriate 

• No second-hand donations. Many of our community partners cannot accept second-hand toys due to health and safety reasons. Also, the quality often varies greatly. For many children, this will be the only toy they receive so we would like it to be a new toy 

• Age range for toys – the toys will be donated to babies and children up to the age of 16 

For gifting inspiration, visit: https://canarywharf.com/shops-services/directory/. 

For more information on the Toy Appeal, visit https://elba-1.org.uk/.