This week, the Everybody Foundation has donated over £2.7K worth of toys including: board games, bop it, balls and fishing kit’s to small, local charities who work with potentially vulnerable families across Cheshire East as part of the Christmas Toy Appeal.
The toy’s donated by Everybody Health and Leisure were equally split between four charities including: Cheshire Buddies, Ruby’s Fund, Friends for Leisure and South Cheshire CLASP.
Hannah Whitley, Grants and Funding Lead at Everybody Health and Leisure shared:
“At this time of year and especially right now with the cost of living crisis at the forefront of everyone’s mind, it is so important to give back and Everybody has been donating toys to the Cheshire East community every Christmas for a few years now. It was so fun to get involved this year and give directly to some amazing local charities – We know they will give the toys to families who are truly in need and will be making some children very happy this Christmas!”
The Central Cheshire Buddies Scheme provide friendship opportunities to disabled young people and offer them practical support to get involved in leisure activities, they also provide training for young people to give them the skills to befriend a disabled young person.
Louise Bailey Cheshire Buddies Project Manager shares:
“We were very excited to receive the gifts from Everybody Health and Leisure, we were amazed at their generosity, there are so many fabulous gifts for the Buddies children, footballs, cricket sets, games, fishing equipment, to name out a few. This will make it an extra special Christmas for them. The children would all like to say a huge thank you to the Everybody Foundation for your kindness, it’s fantastic to see so many smiling faces.”
(L-R: Hannah Whitley- Grants and Funding Lead, Keith Rogers- Youth Participation & Talent Lead, Stephanie Lawley and Louise Bailey founders of The Central Cheshire Buddies Scheme, Lee Malkin – Sports Development Manager & Todd the Tiger- Everybody Health and Leisure Mascot.)
Ruby’s Fund, a charity chosen by the Everybody Foundation are an inclusive sensory centre and social café for children and young people with additional needs and disabilities, to provide a safe and stimulating environment with their families and carers. The Everybody Foundation donated a range of activity related toys to the charity.
Helen Davies, Income Generation and Communication’s Manager at Ruby’s Fund commented:
“Thanks to many generous donors including Everybody Health and Leisure, we have been able to provide a toy to every child who is attending our support sessions in December. Many of our families are feeling the pinch from the cost of living crisis so these toys were much appreciated. Meeting Todd the Tiger was also a highlight for us all!”
(L-R: Hannah Whitley- Grants and Funding Lead, Keith Rogers- Youth Participation & Talent Lead, Lee Malkin – Sports Development Manager, Helen Davies- Income Generation and Communications Manager at Ruby’s Fund and Todd The Tiger – Everybody Health and Leisure Mascot)
Another charity gifted toys from the Everybody Foundation was Friends for Leisure. The Charity enables disabled children and young people to have access to and participate in everyday leisure activities whilst developing friendships.
Claire Addis, Fundraising Co-ordinator at Friends for Leisure shared:
“We were amazed by the quantity and quality of gifts that have been donated to Friends for Leisure by Everybody Health & Leisure. The toys will mean so much to the local children and young people with disabilities who will use them and get hours of entertainment and enjoyment from them. We can’t thank Everybody enough!”
(L-R: Keith Rogers – Youth Participation & Talent Lead, Todd The Tiger – Everybody Health and Leisure Mascot, Claire Addis- Fundraising Coordinator at Friends for Leisure, Lee Malkin- Sports Development Manager, Hannah Whitley- Grants and Funding Lead)
The final of the four charities, who received a generous donation from the Everybody Foundation was South Cheshire CLASP who reach out to lone parent families in the local community and offer them support by helping them and their children to increase confidence and self-esteem, improve family relationships, better cope with family breakdown, and improve their emotional health and wellbeing.
Sue Chapman Project Co-ordinator at South Cheshire CLASP commented:
“It was wonderful to receive such a generous donation of sports equipment and games. Our parents often grumble that their children spend too much time on games consoles; these gifts will ensure that they are more active. The timing of the donation couldn’t have been better. This Christmas, many of our parents can provide very little for their families. One parent called the air hockey game a ‘dream present’ for her children, who had loved playing it in an arcade.”
(L-R: Keith Rogers – Youth Participation & Talent Lead, Todd The Tiger – Everybody Health and Leisure Mascot, Hannah Whitley- Grants and Funding Lead, Sue Chapman- Project Coordinator at CLASP, Julia -Chief Executive at CLASP, Sharon- Counselling Coordinator at CLASP)
To find out more about Everybody visit their website www.everybody.org.uk/
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Notes to Editor
Everybody Health and Leisure are a registered charity which aims to provide ‘leisure for life’ by improving the health and wellbeing of local communities. The charity operates 16 leisure facilities including 9 swimming pools and 7 Taste for Life cafes across the Cheshire East region, and delivers a range of targeted health, sports and disability and inclusion programmes. For more information please visit: www.everybody.org.uk or follow on Twitter @ebleisure.
Media Contact
Name: Matt Shannon
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