Haringey (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Haringey launches a Winter Toy Appeal, urging residents and businesses to donate gifts and support local children facing hardship during Christmas season.
The campaign, which is conducted by the Local Buyers Club in collaboration with the Location estate agency, usually reaches over 3,000 children in North and East London on December 25 who would not otherwise be likely to get a new gift.
Since the appeal started in 2014, more than 37,000 toys have been given, and Haringey, along with Hackney Council, is one of the organizations giving those gifts to underprivileged kids. The appeal is now in its twelfth year.
Jenna Fansa, founder of the Winter Toy Appeal, said:
“Please help ensure children experiencing extreme hardship in Haringey and Hackney have a special gift to open this winter by donating a gift to our appeal.
While so many children are excitedly writing their letters to Santa, thousands are experiencing high levels of deprivation and are unlikely to receive a gift.
This appeal is a way to come together as a community and to ensure the festive magic extends to every child.”
The Leader of Haringey Council, Cllr Peray Ahmet, said:
“Since its inception in 2014, local young children and their families here in Haringey and our neighbouring boroughs have received tens of thousands of toys thanks to the Local Buyers Club’s Winter Toy Appeal.
Once again this year, council staff will be working in tandem with the appeal’s organisers to ensure Haringey kids can play with their presents at Christmas – a fun and festive experience they might not otherwise get to enjoy.
If you’re able, it would be great and very much appreciated if you could support this year’s Winter Toy Appeal. In doing so, you’ll be spreading some Christmas cheer to members of our Haringey community, putting smiles on people’s faces and helping to support a family in need.”
Donating is simple: locals and companies can purchase a new toy at Soup Dragon in Crouch End*, order one through the Haringey Wish List on Amazon, make a donation to the Appeal’s GoFundMe page, or deliver new toys to participating libraries.
Alexandra Park, Coombes Croft, Highgate, Hornsey, Marcus Garvey, Muswell Hill, St Ann’s, Stroud Green, and Harringay are some of the Haringey libraries that are participating and gathering donations of brand-new toys.
The Maya Angelou Rising Roots Family Hub (39 Winkfield Road, Wood Green, London, N22 5RP) will receive toys purchased through the Haringey Wish List.
Toys for kids throughout the capital are purchased directly from independent toy stores in London using funds raised through a GoFundMe page.
Businesses, locals, and supporters are encouraged to spend about £15 on a gift because, for many kids, this is the only toy they will get for Christmas. The organizers are eager to make sure that gifts are roughly equal in value and feel substantial and unique.
How are recipients and distributions being coordinated with councils?
Haringey Council coordinates donors and distributions for the Winter Toy Appeal through its staff at family capitals and referral mates, relating vulnerable children via social services data on foster care, temporary casing, and extreme poverty cases before indifferent allocation.
Council brigades at capitals like Maya Angelou Rising Roots use established referral networks with seminaries, health services, and children’s centers to elect over 3,000 eligible children progressed 0- 16 in Haringey and Hackney, prioritizing those in 52 child poverty hotspots without duplicating aid.
Collected toys suffer sorting by age and type at council installations, with staff icing fair delivery to families pre-Christmas via direct handovers or collection points, supported by mates like Original Buyers Club for logistics amid 2025’s slower donations.