Radio Skye are delighted to be kicking off Cram The Van 2020 with Radio Skye 24 Hour Live in September with a whole 24 hours of live broadcasting from the studio running from 6am until 6am the next morning. Listeners can donate via our Just Giving site and money will go towards making 2020 an extra special year for families in Skye and Lochalsh.

In November Radio Skye will be launching the seventh year of Cram The Van Toy Appeal and this year, we will be focusing on vouchers as much as toys so families can purchase gifts in advance which we hope will reduce anxiety at what can be a stressful time at Christmas. We will also be supporting families with Coop vouchers so they can buy a few extra treats to have over the festive period.

HERE’S MORE ABOUT CRAM THE VAN…

In 2013 Cuillin FM (renamed Radio Skye) launched Cram The Van to help local children and their families at Christmas time by doing a toy appeal – new toys donated by the local community to give to children and teenagers whose family struggle over the Christmas period, making sure everyone has a better Christmas.

WHY WE DO IT…

Information from the Scottish Government report; Poverty and income inequality in Scotland: 2015-2018 indicates that:

>20% of people in Scotland were living in relative poverty after housing costs in during this period.

>The poverty rate continues to rise.

>Child poverty in Scotland is up from 230,000 to 240,000, or one in five children, with 65% of children in poverty living in working families, showing the consequences of poorly paid employment and falling wages.

It is hard to believe these statistics include Skye and Lochalsh. We have heard stories of local children choosing to skip meals so other members of their family can eat. These families are here on our doorsteps and for many the Christmas season is a particularly hard time of year. Radio Skye has a great platform to reach the local community and they want to use it to help ease the burden on local families at Christmas.

The toys and vouchers are sorted and distributed through Radio Skye working alongside local groups.

HOW WE DO IT…

We aim to keep it as simple as possible. After we’ve collected all your donations, we will do some initial sorting and then pass them on to the local organisation we partner with. They will then sort and distribute them to the families they’ve identified in time for Christmas. Last year toys were distributed via the following local groups on Skye and Lochalsh:

Highland Council Social Services

Health and Care services

Highland Council Care and Learning

Skye and Lochalsh Citizens Advice Bureau

Skye and Lochalsh Food Bank

Skye and Lochalsh Young Carers

We will be posting our 24 hour schedule on our website radioskye.com We’ll be doing special phone-ins, competitions, requests, shout outs, and playing the best music this side of Plockton. It’s going to be the best 24 hours you’ll ever hear on radio, worth getting up early for and worth staying up late even if it’s to check we are still awake!