31/10/2026
As the Christmas season approaches, Food for Thought Foodbank is launching our Christmas Giving Gift Vouchers 2026 appeal. We are reaching out to ask for your support through donations of gift vouchers that we can distribute to our service users who have children under 16 years old living with them and who are currently struggling due to the cost-of-living crisis.
Many families we support are experiencing poverty and food insecurity, and for them, the pressure of meeting everyday costs often leaves little—if any—room for Christmas essentials. Your donation will help ensure that children can still feel included, valued, and able to enjoy a thoughtful Christmas—without families having to choose between food, heating, and festive celebrations.
Why gift vouchers make a real difference 💚
While our usual toy bank project has always been motivated by good intentions, we are now prioritising gift vouchers because vouchers offer greater flexibility, dignity, and impact for the children and families we serve. One of the hardest parts of the toy bank project is that our volunteers do not know the child directly. Due to this we do not have enough detail to confidently match gifts to a child’s age, gender, or personal preferences. Gift vouchers remove that guesswork and help ensure that the children and families receive something genuinely suitable. Economically this is also better for the environment due to the amount of toys that end up going to the dump.
Your gift voucher donation will allow parents/carers to purchase Christmas gifts for their children during a time when budgets are stretched to breaking point. It will also help reduce the sense of exclusion that many children feel when their families cannot afford even the basics.
How you can help ;
We welcome donations of £10/£20 gift vouchers which we can then distribute to the families with children we currently support through our Emergency Food Aid service. If you can support us, we would be very grateful 🙏💚
