27 Jan Rayleigh pubgoers billed ‘most generous locals in Britain’ following huge toy donation drive
Kind-hearted pubgoers in Rayleigh have been billed as the ‘some of the most generous locals in Britain’ after donating a whopping 525 toys to local charities last month.
Customers at the Travellers Joy came together to make the record-breaking contribution to Hungry Horse’s third annual ‘Toy Boxing Day’ donation initiative.
The scheme provided gifts to those in need following research that estimated more than two million UK children would go without a present last month.
Overall, the toy drive saw nearly 17,000 presents donated nationwide – achieving a new Hungry Horse record, with the 525 donated by Travellers Joy locals the second the most in the country.
In the lead-up to Christmas, pubs supplied the donated toys to nominated local charities.
In total, 235 pubs took part in the initiative, with dedicated donation stations inviting customers to drop off any preloved, new or unused toys.
The drive followed Hungry Horse research revealing the financial difficulties families face at Christmas, with 57% of parents saying they were worried about being able to afford their children’s presents last month.
Adam Crane, General Manager at the Travellers Joy said: “We have a fantastic community here at the Travellers Joy so I was always confident that our customers would give it their best efforts.
“But the final figures are even more than we could have expected – we’re overwhelmed by the generosity of our customers.
“We’re so glad that we were able to do our bit for the community and, ultimately, we hope that our efforts made a local child’s Christmas that little bit brighter.”
Sarah Williams, Senior Marketing Manager for Hungry Horse, added: “We brought our ‘Toy Boxing’ initiative back for a third year running because, quite simply, every child deserves the joy of a present to unwrap at Christmas.
“We’re absolutely delighted to announce the final donation figures, with a staggering 16,986 presents donated nationwide – an impressive increase on last year’s 10,000. We’d like to thank every single person who contributed.
“We look forward to doing all again, even bigger and better, this year!”
To find your nearest Hungry Horse, visit: https://www.hungryhorse.co.uk/pubs-near-me
