At St Gabriel’s, these values resonate deeply with our own commitment to community, compassion and generosity.

This year, we are proud to be supporting the West Berkshire Toy Appeal, a wonderful local initiative run by The Swift Group in partnership with The Community Furniture Project. The appeal collects toys for children in need across our local area, ensuring that families who may be facing financial challenges can still experience the joy and magic of Christmas.

Once donations are gathered, the Toy Appeal works closely with local schools, the council, social workers and family liaison officers to identify families who may be struggling to afford even the basics, let alone gifts. These families receive vouchers and are invited to select appropriate toys and stockings from the Community Furniture Project—helping to give children a Christmas they might otherwise miss.

How Our School Community Can Help

We warmly encourage every St Gabriel’s family to consider donating a new, unwrapped toy to this meaningful cause. By taking part, not only will you help bring happiness to local children, but you will also help reinforce our Pillars of Character, demonstrating kindness, responsibility and community spirit to our pupils.

Donations can be brought into school daily from Monday 24 November until Friday 5 December, after which we will ensure all contributions are delivered to the West Berkshire Toy Appeal in time for distribution.

The St Gabriel’s Giving Tree

To help children visualise the impact of their generosity, we will be creating a St Gabriel’s Giving Tree. Each time a family donates, pupils will be given a decoration to place on the tree, allowing our whole community to watch kindness grow throughout the season.

For those looking for inspiration, the charity has also created an Amazon Wishlist with suggested items:
(https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/2SKZEMNJ5W2V4/ref=hz_ls_biz_ex)

You can also learn more about the beginnings of the West Berkshire Toy Appeal, and the incredible impact it has made over the years, by following the link at the end of this article.

This initiative is dedicated in memory of Louise Purton, whose commitment to supporting families in need continues to inspire the work of the Toy Appeal today.

Thank you, in advance, for your generosity and kindness. With your help, we can ensure that every child in our community feels the joy and magic that Christmas brings.