Helping parents (and Santa) provide toys to children this Christmas thanks to National Lottery funding

“Play is a critical part of a child’s development. No children should be missing out on it because of a lack of access to toys.”

An organisation in Caerphilly has received £63,300 of National Lottery funding to continue to provide a ‘toy bank’ that reuses and donates used toys to people in need, and saving them from landfill.

Based in Bedwas, ToyBox Project CIC will bring joy to those in need this Christmas by distributing toys to children and families who otherwise would not have any.

Last year, over 7,000 children across south Wales received toys through the project and over 60 schools partnered with the project to help distribute toys and reuse them in lessons. The scheme helps toys stay out of landfill and put them in the hands of those who need them most.

Today, ToyBox Project is one of 245 projects across Wales receiving over £11 million in funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK. This funding is being distributed this Christmas to communities the length and breadth of the country thanks to National Lottery players, who raise over £30 million for good causes every single week.

ToyBox Project is a completely free and volunteer-led organisation, that operates year-round. However, as James Morgan, Founder of the project, explains, the festive period is particularly busy for them.

“We operate year-round but demand at Christmas doubles. We’re juggling everything – we’re currently on target to provide toys to 1000 kids just for this Christmas alone. And we see that it means as much to parents as it does to the children. One parent said to me, ‘Thanks to you, I don’t have to tell my child that Santa doesn’t exist.’”

James, who works full time in the NHS, was inspired to start ToyBox after hearing about the circumstances of a family of patients at the GP surgery he manages.

“It was a single mum, with a four year old child, and the only toys they had were a can of Coke with some rice in the bottom, and a deflated football. And I looked at my three young boys, who were going through an astronomical amount of toys, compared to these patients down the road who had nothing. And my wife and I felt we just had to go and do something.”

Starting off from their living room, they soon moved to a shipping container, and then to a small shop – however the high demand for their services meant that they outgrew those premises in 12 days. This led them to their current premises in a warehouse in Bedwas, Caerphilly, made possible thanks to National Lottery funding.

The growth has been reflected in the team of volunteers, with some volunteers being people who have also benefited from the service. Louise Monico is a teacher at Ysgol Gymraeg Penalltau, who, having visited Toybox to get toys for her pupils, now volunteers with the project.

“I came here for the school, because we had so many kids from lower-income families, and also for our additional learning needs class, because there are so many toys here that are vitally beneficial for them. But I was so impressed with how much ToyBox Project help people, and I decided I wanted to be a part of it. I also love how environmentally focused the project is, because I’m an eco-person, and it’s great how many toys get saved from landfill.”

ToyBox hold up to 15,000 toys in their warehouse at any one time, distributing thousands of kilograms worth of toys each week, and saving 99% of them from landfill, demonstrating the brilliant environmental impact of their work, alongside its positive effect for families across south Wales.

John Rose, Wales Director at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “The impact that ToyBox Project will have on families this Christmas is immeasurable. As a funder, we’re proud to offer grants to projects like these that support children and young people, and that help communities improve people's lives. This great work is thanks to National Lottery players, who raise £30 million every week for good causes across the UK.”

For more information of all grants awarded visit xxx and for all funding available from The National Lottery Community Fund visit https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/wales

List of funded projects in Wales December 2024

Wales funded projects 1224 (DOCX 244 KB)

Date published: 19 December, 2024
Region: Wales

Notes to Editors

About The National Lottery Community Fund

We are the largest non-statutory community funder in the UK – community is at the heart of our purpose, vision and name.

We support activities that create resilient communities that are more inclusive and environmentally sustainable and that will strengthen society and improve lives across the UK.

We’re proud to award money raised by National Lottery players to communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and to work closely with government to distribute vital grants and funding from key government programmes and initiatives.

As well as responding to what communities tell us is important to them, our funding is focused on four key missions, supporting communities to:

1. Come together

2. Be environmentally sustainable

3. Help children and young people thrive

4. Enable people to live healthier lives.

Thanks to the support of National Lottery players, we distribute over £600 million a year through 13,000+ grants and plan to invest over £4 billion of funding into communities by 2030. We’re privileged to be able to work with the smallest of local groups right up to UK-wide charities, enabling people and communities to bring their ambitions to life.

National Lottery players raise over £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK. Since The National Lottery began in 1994, £49 billion has been raised and more than 690,000 individual grants have been made across the UK - the equivalent of around 240 National Lottery grants in every UK postcode district.