The Mall Blackburn has stepped in with a £3,000 donation to Secret Santa’s Christmas toy appeal as monetary and gift donations are down 80 per cent due to the cost of living crisis.
Christmas elves from The Mall and Secret Santa visited the warehouse and packed two cars full of goodies with more on the way to ensure every child in Blackburn with Darwen can open a gift on Christmas Day.
For the third year running The Mall is supporting Secret Santa in its bid to deliver toys to the area’s most underprivileged families including providing a toy donation station at The Mall’s Ask Me Point.
Loraine Jones, general manager at The Mall Blackburn, said: “We’ve been supporting Secret Santa since 2019 to help ensure vulnerable local children have presents to open on Christmas Day.
“When we heard that donations were lower this year because of the cost of living crisis, we wanted to provide even more support.”
Funds were provided to buy toys at cost price from AA Energy Solutions, which runs a toy distribution subsidiary based on Glenfield Park.
Loraine added: “Our thanks go to AA Energy Solutions which runs a toy distribution subsidiary and offered to supply a wide range of toys at cost price after hearing about Secret Santa’s toy appeal.”
Phil Boulding, who founded Secret Santa with his wife Karen, was over the moon with the donation.
He said: “Once again the amazing team at The Mall has come to the rescue for Secret Santa.
“It shows how embedded the shopping centre is, being at the very heart of the community, and we would not be where we are today without their unwavering support.
“We got quite emotional collecting the huge amount of amazing gifts and there’s more on the way, it is just incredible.
“The cost of living crisis is having a huge impact on donations so this additional money came just at the right time.
“We’re determined to keep pushing ahead to make sure as many children as possible receive a sack of gifts to open on Christmas Day.”
In 2019, The Mall made a rent-free store available to act as the Secret Santa HQ. Located below the clock tower on King William Street, the unit gives the organisation a high street presence to sell new and preloved items and raise awareness of its work.
Collection containers for toy donations are available at The Mall’s Ask Me Point and people can donate cash in store or online.
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