The Newham Christmas Toy Appeal, renamed this year as the Kevin Jenkins OBE Newham Christmas Toy Appeal, in honour and memory of Kevin, the Appeals founder, who very sadly passed away this year.

Following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, 2021 has continued to be such a difficult and challenging year for everyone but sadly, all available evidence confirms that it is the children and their families who were already the most in need, who have suffered more than everyone else experiencing deepening difficulties and cascading challenges.

Furthermore, the pandemics relentless grip on our communities and the resulting loss of life, increasing unemployment and deteriorating mental health it is causing for families who were already struggling, is resulting in many of these families, through no fault of their own, being pushed back into need, desperately requiring help and support.

As a result, the annual Christmas Toy Appeal the 44th, is needed this year more than ever before, and we are already receiving more requests for help this year than in any of the appeals previous 43 years.

Each child helped will be experiencing the ravages of poverty each and every day, compounded by their own bespoke combination of multiple difficulties and challenges, such as poor and/or temporary accommodation, food hunger, poor wellbeing, emotional needs, educational underachievement, behavioural difficulties, disability and/or additional needs, being a victim of personal abuse or violence, bereavement etc.

At Christmas, each family helped does not receive any extra money to help them provide the gifts and seasonal foods that so many of us are lucky enough to take for granted, instead they are expected to stretch their already inadequate income - that is already putting them into poverty, even further and it is just not possible.

Together we can make a real difference for Newhams most disadvantaged, vulnerable and at-risk children this Christmas.