JCB’s third annual Christmas Toy Appeal has turned out to be its most successful one yet with more than 1,700 presents donated by kind-hearted employees.
The Rocester-based construction equipment manufacturer has delivered a record haul of gifts for distribution to children in Staffordshire and Wrexham.
The presents were donated across all of JCB’s UK plants in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Wrexham and most will be wrapped by the Hubb Foundation before being distributed to families in Stoke-on-Trent with the help of the NSPCC.
Carole Bamford – wife of JCB Chairman Lord Bamford – has thanked everyone for their contribution to the appeal.
Lady Bamford said: “I’d like to say a very big thank you to everyone who has taken the time to donate a gift to the JCB Christmas Toy Appeal. It really will make such a huge difference to every single child who has a present to open this Christmas.”
NSPCC Strategic Services Manager Rachael Holdcroft said: “The reality for many children and families is that Christmas isn’t actually a magical time. The donation of these gifts by the JCB workforce brings a little bit of light into what is otherwise quite a dark time for them and it will make the world of difference.”
Adam Yates, Chief Operating Officer at the Stoke-on-Trent-based Hubb Foundation, said: “The sheer volume of gifts donated to the JCB Christmas Toy Appeal is an amazing achievement by JCB employees. I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who has donated a gift this year.”
The GMB union in Staffordshire donated £1,000 to enable the purchase of toys for the appeal and in Wrexham the GMB donated a further £650 so gifts could be bought.
Toys donated by employees at JCB Transmissions in Wrexham will be handed to the Salvation Army for local distribution.
