Special delivery as Wigan charity receives hundreds of toys for children this Christmas

Items from Amazon’s Top Ten Toys list, including Barbie, Furby, Pokémon and LEGO Star Wars, were taken to The Brick, much to the delight of staff.

It was part of the Multibank charity initiative, which was set up by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and online retailer Amazon in 2022 to help families and individuals living in poverty.

It operates as a “click and collect” service for more than 1,000 local charities and professionals to access surplus goods for people in need.

The toys will be distributed to children of all ages via local support workers in time for Christmas.

Keely Dalfen, CEO of The Brick, said: "Financial pressures at this time of the year are enormous, but for families on the lowest incomes the pressures are even greater.

"That is why initiatives such as the Multibank are so important to provide amenities and support to tens of thousands of vulnerable families across the UK

each year.

"With the help of Amazon this Christmas, we are able to extend our offer to include this year's most sought-after toys. Together, we hope to spread some festive joy and provide a magical Christmas for families and ensure these children can return to school feeling included and excited about their new gifts.”

The giant toy truck will also stop off at a second Multibank site, donating toys to The Big Hoose project from Fife-based charity The Cottage Family Centre.

Toys from the must-have list were also donated to children living in deprived areas of Swansea, via the charity Faith in Families.

Each charity will receive multiples of each toy from the list to help more children discover the joy of toys this festive season.

The Brick – which works to help people facing poverty and homelessness – is supporting more than 200 families with a Christmas dinner and other food this year and is looking to raise money to continue its work with thousands more families in 2024.

To help The Brick continue to support families, visit www.thebrick.org.uk/donate/