A SPECIAL appeal is making sure that no child in Warrington is ‘left behind’ this Christmas.

Warrington Foodbank has teamed up with Golden Square to launch its annual Christmas Toy Appeal.

Through donations, the initiative aims to ensure that all children in the town, including teenagers, will not be left without a gift this year.

Working in connection with the foodbank for the appeal are Warrington Youth Zone, Warrington Borough Council and the Warrington Wolves Foundation.

David McDonald, CEO of Warrington Foodbank, said: “The aim of this network where we have encompassed four great places where people make donations to, is that we are trying to leave no child behind this year.

“In previous years, different people have done their own donations to the various charities.

“What we are trying to do this year is reach out so that no child is left behind in Warrington and so they can receive something if their family is in need or crisis.”

Talking about the difference that this appeal can make to the town’s children, Mayor of Warrington Cllr Jean Flaherty said: “For those children, it means that they are the same as the other children who they interact with on a daily basis.

“They aren’t going to be left out when they go to school.

“Those children are going to have the same presents as everyone else which is so important when you are a child at school.

“It can do so much lasting damage because of some sort of inferior complex.

“It is really, really important that we don’t let that happen to the next generation of children.”

Warrington Guardian:

The Christmas Toy Appeal is open from today, Wednesday, and is based in the old Smiggle store in Golden Square.

It will be open from Tuesday to Saturday between 10am and 4pm.

Donations of gifts for children and teenagers can be dropped off at the Warrington Foodbank Warehouse on Tanning Court as well as their Golden Square site.

And they can also be dropped off at Golden Square Customer Services.

And as well as the toy appeal, Friends of St Elphins Park are also running their Pyjamas for Christmas appeal in connection with the foodbank.

Besides the run-up to Christmas, the demand for the foodbank has been steadily increasing.

But David said the support shown and offered to the facility by Warrington residents has been ‘absolutely brilliant’.

He said: “Someone said to me over the weekend that the fastest growing industries at the moment are charity shops and foodbanks – that tells its own story that we are needed more than ever to support those people in Warrington who have difficulties and are in need and are in crisis.

“Since coming out of Covid, we have seen a steady increase of people needing to use the facility.

“There is an increase because of the financial statement that came out from the government last week and we just feel as though that will continue to enhance the number of people who will find it necessary to use the foodbank.

"I can’t praise the people of Warrington enough for the support that they have given us – not just this year but they have been behind us for 10 years and it does not seem as though it is going to diminish.

“We can only praise them and thank them for everything they have done for us because we live on donations.”

The Mayor added: “I can only echo what David said, the people of Warrington are absolutely fantastic when it comes to giving to charitable deals and we cannot thank them enough.”