 The festive season will be a little bit brighter for families living in women’s refuges thanks to a donation from Maidenhead Rotary Club to provide them with new toys to open on Christmas Day. Most children arrive at a refuge with just the clothes on their back and their mothers struggle to provide basic essentials, let alone toys at Christmas. So the club has given £1,000 to the KidsOut Rotary Christmas Toy Box Initiative ‘Every Refuge, every Child’. It provides new toys to support mental health and make the world a little kinder for children spending Christmas in a refuge. KidsOut is a Rotary charity, started by Rotary and run by Rotarians, that aims to bring a bit of fun and happiness into the lives of disadvantaged children. Chief executive Gordon Moulds said the toys will be given to mums first so they can then give them ‘from Santa’ and not from charity – which is vital for a mother’s self-esteem at such a distressing time. | He added: “This £1,000 donation is a wonderful contribution. Your support has made a real difference to some of the most disadvantaged children in your area, bringing some joy when they need it most.” A refuge support worker explained the toy box initiative helps ease the stress on mums struggling to give their children presents to open on Christmas morning. “Your toys mean we can provide families with the opportunity to have a lovely Christmas Day. Please know they will be put towards making a child smile this Christmas,” she said. Jim Howles, chairman of Maidenhead Rotary Club’s community committee, said they really wanted to support the KidsOut initiative at a particularly tough time for families living in refuges. “We have had great support from KidsOut for many years. They have always supported our day trips for local schools with monetary assistance and help with subsidised tickets for theme parks. The committee agreed with me that it would be nice to give something back,” he said. |
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