The new initiative encourages parents and children to donate pre-loved toys to raise money for some of the UK’s most disadvantaged children and young people.
From Wednesday 17 October, ‘donation stations’ will be in operation at around 740 Argos stores and 500 Barnardo’s retail stores where members of the public will be able to donate unwanted toys in exchange for a £5 voucher towards the cost of new toys (minimum £35 spend) to be redeemed at Argos by 24 December. The initiative was launched in London, where celebrity mum and Argos Toy Exchange ambassador, Danielle Lineker, met with children from Northlands Park children’s centre delivered by Barnardo’s, in Basildon, Essex.
Danielle Lineker said: “I’m really proud to be supporting the Argos Toy Exchange. Argos is a destination for most UK mums, including myself, at Christmas and this initiative allows you to not only bring a smile to your children’s faces this year, but many more who need help from Barnardo’s services across the UK. All we’re asking is for people to clear out their toy boxes and bring any unwanted toys into Argos, so they can donate them to a good cause.”
New research by Argos shows that the average UK family has 80 toys but children don’t regularly play with two thirds of them, resulting in a huge 474 million un-played with toys in homes. A least a third of parents admitted to keeping unwanted toys at home and one in five (19 per cent) even confessed to throwing them away. Each year 13 million toys end up in the dustbin and landfill sites³, many of which are in good condition and could be given a new home. In stark contrast, there are 3.6 million children living below the poverty line in the UK, which is almost a third of all children. Many families living in poverty have just £12 per day per person to buy everything they need such as food, heating, clothes, electricity, transport and toys.
To donate toys to the Argos Toy Exchange, visit your local Argos or Barnardo’s store from Wednesday 17October 2012. Donations will be accepted at stores until Tuesday 27 November 2012.
For more information about the Toy Exchange, visit Argos Toy Exchange
.
