Dumfries and Galloway Toy Appeal helps nearly 900 children receive a Christmas gift

The Standard’s Toy Appeal has brought a huge injection of Christmas community spirit in the toughest of times and, tomorrow morning, will bring delighted smiles to the faces of a record-breaking number of children – more than 870 – needing a gift.

Once again the response from our readers and the local community has been absolutely outstanding.

Not only were we able to fulfil the lists of children – from newborns to teenagers – who need a present, but we were able to make sure everyone also got a sweet treat to go with their gifts which have been distributed by the many agencies who work with youngsters in Dumfriesshire.

We offer a huge thank you to all those working with children and young people in these most difficult pandemic days.

And we offer a grateful thanks to the staff and customers of our collection stores: Anne Croucher and Tesco, Cuckoo Bridge; Jade McKerlie and Tesco, Peel Centre; Myra Smith and Morrisons; Katriona Bailey and Nationwide Building Society; and the amazing ladies in the coffee shop at Marks & Spencer and manager, Andrew Johnston, who have all gone the extra mile this year.

We are also grateful to Ewan and Maureen Fraser of the Toll Bar Stores, Dumfries, for the £1,000 donation which set us on our way, and Mrs Jenny Anderson who donated £500 in memory of her late and much-missed husband, David.

Community champion, Anne Croucher at Tesco Cuckoo Bridge, gave the proceeds from a very snowy Christmas craft market and the Masonic Lodge Dumfries Kilwinning No.53 gave £100.

Many more have made donations into our bank account which have been a tremendous help and we thank them all and the anonymous individuals and families who gave.

Dumfries Lions Club donated £400 in vouchers and Sheryl Turner, a director at Armstrong Joinery Products Ltd at Cample, Thornhill, gifted 12 scooters and helmets, while members of the Loreburn Archers in Dumfries gifted selection boxes.

Postal workers at the Royal Mail’s Dumfries sorting office in Great King Street delivered a first-class service to the Standard’s Christmas appeal.

They filled a van with toys for all ages donated by themselves, and with help from staff at Toy Town, Argos and the Royal Mail.

NHS staff in the Neo Natal Unit at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary donated bags full of toys and we received a bumper package of gifts from staff at the Amey, Wayside Depot, in Dumfries.

We are also grateful to wee Jack Bassett who donated his pocket money to buy toys for the appeal, and to Kim Taylor of Beauty With No Stress who held a Christmas fair at the Jolly Harvester and used the proceeds to buy toys for the appeal (and half to the Apex foodbank).

Thanks also go to Susan Bryden, Michelle Beamish at Fusion Fitness gym, Caroline Bell, Dunscore Parish Church, St Andrew’s RC Church and Kerry Walker.

Finally, a big thank you to those who worked hard behind the scenes to make it happen – Jackie Grant, Andrew Jackson, Jim McEwan, Lynne and Lyndsay McEwan and all the team at the Dumfries and Galloway Standard and The Galloway News.