Market Harborough provides drop-off point for Toys on the Table Christmas appeal

Market Harborough will provide a drop-off point for donations to this year’s Toys on the Table Christmas appeal.

The annual appeal launched this week and is being supported by Harborough District Council to provide an area for families to drop off new toys and spread joy to disadvantaged children this year.

Nearly 4,000 children benefited last year, with over 2,000 new toys and gifts donated in Market Harborough, thanks to the generosity of people in and around the town.

Charity chair Bill Bowley said: “I never cease to be amazed by the generosity of people in the Harborough district especially, as it’s the main collecting point in the area. You see little kids walk up with toys and out them in the box because they want to help children worse off than they are.

“There’s nothing worse than kids going to school and being asked what did you get for Christmas and saying I didn’t get anything. It must be heart-breaking for children to see others with their nice new trainers or new jackets and toys.

“Part of it is the level of poverty. We have far more people going to foodbanks nowadays and we get far more referrals from them.”

New toys only can be dropped off at the Indoor Market at the Northampton Road entrance.

The Leicester Round Table 39 established the Toys on the Table project in the early 1980s and in recent years it has become a separate charity.