05/10/2026
The 1st of October marked the official launch of our annual Toy Appeal here at Spirit Aid.
The launch was extra special this year, as it was hosted in the iconic Glasgow City Chambers, and received the support of the Lord Provost of Glasgow, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Glasgow Taxis.
Honouring the 25th year of our Toy Appeal, this year we teamed up with Lord Provost’s own annual toy collection in a bid to provide toys to as many needy children across Glasgow and surrounding areas as possible.
The Lord Provost of Glasgow, Jacqueline McLaren said:
“Christmas should be a time of joy, and excitement for children. Sadly, we know that for some families across Glasgow, financial hardship can make that difficult."
"Glasgow is a city with a big heart and I know our people will once again get behind this appeal and help make this year's campaign the biggest and most successful yet."
Spirit Aid’s founder, David Hayman, said:
“Since 2001 Spirit Aid has delivered toys to thousands of children over the years in Glasgow and the West of Scotland that are denied Christmas. Thousands of children at what should be one of the most joyous times of the year get nothing because they live in poverty."
"Some children live in homes where the parents don’t have the money to buy their children a present or celebrate a birthday. No one treats them; they never see a pantomime or get taken to the movies. Spirit Aid tries to change that."
"This year we are thrilled that Glasgow City Council, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Glasgow Taxis are working in partnership with us to collect and distribute many more thousands of Christmas toys to those in need."
"I appeal to the public to be as generous as they can be and help us put a smile on the face of a child this Christmas.”
After this event finished in early afternoon, the team headed straight over to Tesco Coatbridge for the second launch of the day. This location has been pivotal to the Toy Appeal for many years, acting as a main drop-off point for donations. Santa was there to help us spread the word to shoppers in Coatbridge that the appeal has officially begun!
To contribute to the Toy Appeal, you can:
🎄 Make a donation to our Just Giving
🎅 Donate new, unopened toys to any of our designated collection points
🎁 Purchase a gift from our Amazon Wishlist
The details for all of these options are provided here: https://spiritaid.org/christmas-toy-appeal/
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who made the launch a success, and to anyone who has already generously made a donation to the appeal. The contributions from Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Glasgow Taxis, Tesco Coatbridge and Lord Provost make a huge difference to the success of our cause and without them, we would not be able to provide toys this Christmas to so many vulnerable children in and around Glasgow.
