Market to become drop off point for Toys on the Table appeal

Harborough Market, owned by the Council, will serve as an alternative collection point for the appeal and is asking HFM listeners to drop off their new toys to the indoor Market Hall on Northampton Road.

Toys on the Table is a charity working in the Leicester and Leicestershire area which has enabled thousands of disadvantaged children to receive gifts during the festive period.

Cllr Phil King, Leader of Harborough District Council, said: “We are really pleased that we are can support the HFM and Toys on the Table appeal, and thank our Market staff for coming forward to help. It is a wonderful campaign that is needed now more than ever, after what has been a difficult year for many people.”

Bill Bowley, from Toys on the Table, said: “We are so grateful to Harborough Market and the Council, for supporting us this year, when things proved difficult for HFM. The people of Harborough are always so generous and help to ensure that disadvantaged children across the county have a present to open on Christmas Day when they otherwise would not.”

The charity distributes toys via referrals from social service, foodbanks, schools, women’s aid groups, and already has double the number of referrals than is typical in a normal year.

In 2019 HFM listeners donated over 3,500 new toys to the appeal, and the popular radio station is once again urging people to get behind their campaign, to try and meet that additional need.

Nick Shaw, from HFM, said: “We’re so grateful to Harborough Market for stepping in to be the collection point for the appeal this year. It is always so well supported by our listeners, so it is great that they can drop off toys at such a central point in the town. We can’t thank the market and all the staff enough for what they are doing on behalf of the disadvantaged children who will benefit from the appeal this year.”

Toys for babies to children aged up to 16 must be new and unwrapped and can be dropped off during the lockdown period with market door staff Tuesday to Saturday 8am to 3pm, and in the general hall once lockdown ends.

The last day for toys to be dropped off at the market is Christmas Eve before 3pm.