Where to donate (or receive) UK children's charity Christmas gifts

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Wondering where to donate (or receive) children’s charity Christmas gifts in the UK? Thankfully, there are lots of charities and organisations providing free Christmas gifts to children and families in need. They rely on donations and volunteers to make the holiday season special for those facing financial challenges, so if you’re able to help please do. On the other hand, if you’re struggling, these are the perfect people to contact for a little bit of festive help. Every child should have something to open on Christmas morning, so do reach out to one of these fabulous organisations if you need a helping hand! Here are some brilliant places where you can donate, or receive, children’s charity Christmas gifts in the UK:

The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army runs an annual Christmas Present Appeal to provide toys and gifts for children in need. They have collection points in various locations all over the UK where you can donate new, unwrapped children’s toys and gifts, which the charity will then deliver to families in need over the Christmas period. We do this every year – if you can’t afford to buy a gift, then simply donating gifts your own children haven’t used is fab too, just make sure the items are unused. The Salvation Army have a helpful list of presents you can give:

0-3 years: dolls, teddy bears, cot mobiles, baby clothes, bath toys, CDs of suitable music and nursery rhymes, puzzles
3-5 years: cars, lorries, DVDs and CDs (music and nursery rhymes), colouring sets, pencils, crayons, books, puzzles, dolls and action figures
5-9: CDs & family friendly DVDs, books, puzzles, wordsearch, crosswords, educational games & toys and stationery
9-12: DVDs, books, t-shirts, hair accessories, gloves, scarves, hats, games and toys
13-16: make-up and toiletries (please try to ensure non-allergic ingredients if possible), books, gloves, scarves, hats, t-shirts, hair accessories and gift vouchers

For more information, and to find a local place to donate, check their website. See if you can encourage others to get involved too – a few years ago (when my kids were still in school) I reached out to the other mums on the class Whatsapp group and we managed to collect all of these amazing presents – our local Salvation Army were so grateful!

Barnardo’s

There are a few ways to help out Barnardo’s over the festive season. You could donate your pre-loved items to their charity shops to raise funds, volunteer your time, or send a cash donation through their website to contribute to their Christmas Appeal to support disadvantaged children. Check their website for information on how to get involved.

Local Food Banks

Many local food banks, charities and community kitchens offer Christmas gift programs for families in need, so keep your eyes peeled to help out those in your local area. These programs often provide toys and gifts, as well as much needed food and essential supplies, to families over the Christmas period. See what’s running in your community and make use of supermarket collection areas when you’re doing your weekly shop.

Kids Out

Kids Out, working alongside Women’s Aid and other charities, help children who have had to leave their homes and stay in a refuge due to domestic abuse – often leaving everything they own behind. It’s super simple to help out – you can donate a toy to the Giving Tree via the Kids Out website. Choose from a pre-selected list, pay online and the charity will make sure that your gift is delivered to a child in need this Christmas. You can also get your workplace or kids’ school involved too, by making your own Giving Tree on their behalf. Get in touch with Kids Out and they’ll send you some gift tags with the names of children who are living in refuges and the gift they’d love to receive.

Christmas Toy Drives

Keep an eye out for local Christmas toy drives – often organised by community groups, charity shops, churches, children’s centres, UK businesses and hospitals – where you can donate gifts. These events collect cash donations or children’s toys to distribute to families in your area. You could even go the extra mile, and help out as a volunteer too. Local social media groups are great place to see what’s going on – and are the perfect place to spread the word too! If you have a local Dunelm store – they run a Christmas Gift Tag appeal – simply pick a tag off their tree in store and return with the gift.

Operation Christmas Child

If you’re wondering where you can donate on an international level, though it’s also active in the UK, Operation Christmas Child (run by the charity Samaritan’s Purse) asks people to fill shoeboxes with children’s gifts which are then sent all over the world. Since 1993, they’ve delivered gifts to a staggering 209 million children in over 170 countries – children who otherwise wouldn’t receive any presents at Christmas. But, get organised if you want to help, gifts are usually sent by early/mid-November – visit their website to find out more. Though, you can also ‘build a box’ virtually on their website until New Year’s Eve.

Family Action

If you’re looking to make a donation where your funds will be used in a practical way, UK charity Family Action goes the extra mile to support families with the winter necessities – as well as making sure that children have a gift to wake up to on Christmas morning. They’re offering families in need practical and emotional support through food clubs, financial grants, FamilyLine, and their Christmas Toy Appeal. It’s super quick and easy to donate to their cause through their website.

A final word

I hope that my article on where to donate (or receive) children’s charity Christmas gifts in the UK has been helpful – if you have any other causes to add please do pop a message in the comments for others to see. And, spread the word online, or get your children’s school involved in fund-raising or gift donations, to really give these wonderful charities a boost, and bring some festive joy to children in the UK and beyond! If you’ve not got much to spare, don’t forget you can volunteer your time (which is just as valuable!) to these amazing causes, and support local groups and charities providing food and gifts to those in need over the festive period. And, if your children have any unwanted Christmas gifts (or duplicates) this year, store them away carefully ready to donate next Christmas.