Bermondsey and Rotherhithe charities are teaming up again this year to give Christmas presents to kids in need.
Food pantry and community group Love North Southwark CIC are running a toy drive for children at local primary schools St James’s and St Joseph’s, as well as other local children.
Charity head Kathleen Heather has already collected dozens of new toys for young boys and girls at the charity’s base in Cherry Garden Hall on Southwark Park Road – all donated by local people from Bermondsey and Rotherhithe – but would still like people to give more if they can.
The group, which aims to support local men’s mental health by running regular walks in the area and further afield, is taking a group down to the south coast this Saturday (November 27) for a 15-mile trek from Eastbourne to Hastings.
Scott Oughton-Johnson, who founded the group, told the News: “We do these walks anyway and we thought it would be a great cause to help support.
“We’ve got so many families and kids in the area who might be struggling, there’ll be so many kids who are excited for Christmas and we wanted to do something to help.”
Kathleen said that the toy drive would probably get toys for about 40 more children this year than in 2020, its first year – a sign of the generosity of local people but also perhaps the growing hardship amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
If you want to donate a new toy, please take it to the Cherry Garden Hall at the corner of Southwark Park Road and Jamaica Road by December 14.
If you would like to donate money, click here.