The Mayor’s Toy Appeal is a charitable appeal that provides Christmas presents to children of families in crisis, referred to us by Social Services, schools, churches and other agencies, allowing the children to experience the magic of Christmas whilst enabling their parent(s) a valuable respite from the pressures of the season.

We seek to help children who, due to family circumstances, would not receive Christmas gifts.

For example:

  • Families where parents/carers suffer with mental and/or physical difficulties
  • Families experiencing emotional/stressful/abusive circumstances
  • Families in crisis due to bereavement or illness of a parent
  • Children housed in temporary accommodation
  • Families facing severe financial difficulty

Whilst we receive much valuable support, we receive no funding and rely very heavily on volunteers and donations of gifts and funds.

The appeal will run from Tuesday 12th November to Tuesday 17th December 2024.

We like to encourage people to shop in their town centres.

Teddy Mayor has compiled a list of the gifts we'd like to receive on behalf of the children

New toys only please, no guns or candles.

Visit our

For further information please email trevor.crawford@mayorstoyappeal.co.uk

Construction Toys

Lego & Duplo

Bionicle & K'nex

Mega Bloks & Meccano

Art & Craft Toys

Sketch pads

Art sets & paint by numbers

Colouring pencils & felt tips

Pens & pencil cases

Block crayons & stencils

Stationery sets

Rubbers, rulers & sharpeners

Finger paints & poster paints

Paint boxes & brushes

Colouring books

Sticker books

Craft activities

Paper dolls

Spirography & scribblers

Style model activity books

Gifts for Teenagers

Hairbrushes, slides & bobbles

Leather belts

Makeup, eyeshadow & lip gloss

Nail varnish & manicure sets

Scent, toiletries & deodorant

Hair gel & spray

Makeup brushes & cosmetic bags

Combs, mirrors, umbrellas & purses

Necklaces & bracelets

Jewellery boxes & holders

Alarm clocks, watches & wallets

Secret diaries

Sunglasses

Handbags

Beanie hats & gloves

Tights

Branded football club items

Games & Puzzles

Board games for 3-90 year olds

Pictionary & Frustration

Operation & Buckaroo

Cranium

Picture Lotto

Jigsaw puzzles (500 piece max.)

Playing cards

Sewing kits

Educational Toys

Calculators & maths sets

Lunch boxes & flasks

Musical instruments

Frisbees & skipping ropes

Footballs

Cricket & badminton sets

Skittles & quoits

Football boot bags

Baby & Toddler Toys

Bathtime toys & puzzles

Light & sound activity toys

Toys for under 3s

Mobile, cot & buggy toys

Clutch & roller rattles

Colourful wooden bricks

Stacking cups

Shape sorters & spinning tops

Hats, gloves & pyjamas

Comfort blanket & Cuddleuppets

Hand cars, pull along toys, ride-ons

Babies bibs, beakers & dishes

Buggy clip-on toys & baby walkers

Dolls for under 3s

Fisher Price, Tomy & Little Tikes

Make Believe Toys

Finger & hand puppets

Dressing up clothes

Cash registers & play money

Play food & kitchen utensils

Play scales & doll bath sets

Doctors & nurses medical sets

Playdough & kinetic sand

Rolling pins & shape cutters

Tea & pastry sets, cutlery & kettles

Toolkits & car play mats

Happyland people & vehicles

Toy cars, trains & aeroplanes

Hot Wheels cars & Micro Machines

Telephones & torches

Barbie, Sindy & Monster High Dolls

My Little Pony

Dinosaurs, farm & zoo animals

Transformers & Marvel Avengers

Sylvanian Families & Playmobil

Baby Annabell & Baby Born

Shopkins

Books

2025 diaries & calendars

Address books

Cloth books for babies

Card books for babies

Books with clips for buggies

Early reading books

Books for under 5s

Reading books for 6-17 year olds

Football & joke books

2025 annuals

Activity books

Song & sound books

Teenage books

Branded Toys

Mickey & Minnie Mouse

Disney Little Princess

Winnie the Pooh

Peppa Pig

Hello Kitty

Thomas the Tank Engine

Postman Pat

Frozen

Spiderman

Fireman Sam

Transformers

Superman

Despicable Me

Mr Men & Little Miss

Paw Patrol

Mr Tumble

Twirlywoos

Top Gear

X-Men

WWE

Where’s Wally?

Batman

Football, Rugby & Cricket

The Hunger Games

Minecraft

The Simpsons

Star Wars

Marvel

Jurassic World

Shaun the Sheep

Gift Drop Off

These are Maddisons Residental in The Pantiles, The Amelia Scott next to the Town Hall, Barsleys in Paddock Wood, St George’s Childcare Chilston Road, Trinity Theatre and Royal Victoria Place.

Please drop your gifts off by Tuesday 17th December.

St George’s Childcare and Royal Victoria Place will also feature 'Giving Trees' where you choose a label featuring a gift and return it to any of the collection points.

Last year, we managed to provide nearly 700 children with a sack of gifts thanks to your enormous generosity. We anticipate that numbers may well be higher this year.

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A huge thank you from the
Teddy Mayor's Toy Appeal 2024 to...

Mayor of Tunbridge Wells, visits Hilden Grange school.

Mayor of Tunbridge Wells, visits Hilden Grange school.

A huge thank you to all the students and staff of Hilden Grange school for their overwhelming generosity and support!

Massive thanks to Devlin, Apple and all at The Big Yellow Storage centre

Massive thanks to Devlin, Apple and all at The Big Yellow Storage centre

Once again this year, The Big Yellow are so generously supporting Mayor’s Toy Appeal by providing storage for toys throughout the year. Devlin and Apple seen here with Mayor of Tunbridge Wells, Nancy Warne, and Trevor from Mayor’s Toy Appeal.

Huge thanks to ‘Clear It’

Huge thanks to ‘Clear It’

‘Clear It’, a business clearance company that that have so generously supported the Mayor’s Toy Appeal again this year with a large donation which will enable us to purchase much needed toys.

A date for your diary!

A date for your diary!

St Georges Childcare have their Christmas Fair Saturday 30th November: 7 Chilston Road, Tunbridge Wells Kent, TN4 9LP

Many thanks to St Mark’s Church

Many thanks to St Mark’s Church

St Mark’s, Broadwater Down are having a special Mayor’s Toy Appeal giving day Sunday 1st December. St Mark’s Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 5LU

A generous donor shares her reason for supporting us

A generous donor shares her reason for supporting us

An extremely generous lady came into the pop up this week to donate two very large bags of new toys. She explained that some years ago her husband died leaving her with two young children and struggling financially, to such an extent, that through her children’s school they were referred to the Mayor’s Toy Appeal, who provided them with sacks of Christmas presents for several years. She vowed then that if she got herself straight she would help the Appeal when her financial situation improved.