cuddly toys - where to donate?

WindChim

hi

have had a clear out - scary amount of cuddly toys for a woman in her 30s!!:eek: .. they're all immaculate, having just sat on a futon ... I know I could do the charity shop thing, but as it's getting near Crimbo, is there a "nicer" home for them? not looking for "ooooh what a lovely charity thing :A " but, want to think if they can make some children happy, I'd like to do that .. but are there health and safety issues anyway?!

let me know? if not, I will do the shop thing

thanks

Mo'_Money

Perhaps you could enquire at your nearest hospital - I'm sure they would appreciate them up in the children's wards. Especially nearer Christmas. They may even accept them for prizes in a charity raffle, or other charitable events going on in your area.

Contains_Mild_Peril

If there are any vintage ones which predate the CE mark, some places might not accept them (a ridiculous ruling since the old BS was more stringent when the CE mark was introduced in the '80s, and probably still is), but the good news is vintage toys sometimes sell well on eBay, and you can sell them there in aid of charity if you like. If your chosen charity is on their list, there's not much more to it than ticking a box when you list your item, and a logo will appear to show customers it's a charity auction.
You can ask local hospitals, but some might only accept cuddly toys which are machine washable. I can't think of any other health & safety issues you need to worry about.
Is there a local Christmas toy appeal in your area? Where I am, the local paper runs one in conjuction with the local CVS, and they take all kinds of toys in good condition to distribute to disadvantaged children. They tend to get plenty of cuddly toys and comparatively little for the older kids though, but I'm sure the recipients of the cuddly toys don't complain, and they do fundraising events to buy stuff for older kids.

jet44

A children's hospice would probably welcome them too. Most areas have one close by.

GiveItBack

Lots of localities look for gifts from Santa around Christmas time to be donated, if they are in very good condition.

mamashaz

My local radio station always runs an appeal at Christmas and the toys are donated to local children. The toys need to be new or nearly new so this might be an idea if your local station does the same too.

shykins

u could check local schools pta as they might want themfor their upcoming xmas fetes

if u are in essex i would snap them up as we always do a soft toy tombola at the bazaar and the kids love it

x

victory

I work for barnardos and they always have lots of teddy donations, they sell really quickly and the money obviously goes to a good cause xxx