Toys and Teens Appeal Launch 2022

Amicus, our Sixth Form charity group, were excited to launch the Christmas 2022 Toys and Teens Appeal in Collect this morning. Laura, our representative from Reading Family Aid, visited Main Hall to share the plans for gifting toys and presents with less fortunate children in the Reading area. The tradition of donating to the appeal began five years ago and the Leighton Park community has been as enthusiastic and committed over the years as they were at the start. The need in Reading has grown with Laura explaining that they are expecting the 2,558 children they helped in 2021 to exceed 3,000 young people this Christmas.

Reading Family Aid has received a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service for its charity work and a huge amount of effort is put into their incredible Toys and Teens Appeal. The appeal encourages people to donate suitable new or ‘as new’ toys, anything but electrical items unless they are brand new and in their original packaging. The gifts can be dropped off at a number of collection points around Reading, including the reception of Old School. At the end of November Reading Family Aid gather together all the donations and organise the gifts by gender and age category in a large church hall, ready for organisations such as Homestart, to come and choose children’s presents for the families they are supporting.

“This appeal makes a huge difference to local families and it all starts with you and your generous donations,” explained Laura to the whole school in Main Hall. “We couldn’t do what we do without you.”

Head Boy Will, who is a member of Amicus, added, “The students at LP are a very privileged group of individuals with the full Christmas experience. In our local community there are people that will not have that same kind of experience and so this opportunity is really the least we can do; it’s something we can do to help.”