Help make a child’s dream come true

AN innovative new festive toy appeal has been launched by a charity outlet in Strabane.

The Christmas Wishing Tree Appeal, organised by the Kindness of Strangers, aims to put a smile on under-privileged children’s faces this yuletide, via the donation of gifts.

Based on Upper Main Street, the Kindness of Strangers shop contains a sparkly new Christmas tree which, in turn, contains wishes. 

Each wish on the tree includes the name and age of a child and a gift they would like this Christmas.

“It will say the child’s name and age and a suggestion, like a Toy Story toy or a David Walliams’s book,” explained  Jacqueline Williamson.

“Then if someone takes that wish from the tree and buys it, they can drop the gift off at the shop. 

“That’s a Christmas present sorted for a child for this year.”

The Kindness of Strangers social enterprise is managed by Kinship Care NI – the award winning charity which supports kinship carers and their children in Northern Ireland.

“Our Kindness of Strangers shop opened in June 2020 and has gone from strength to strength,” Jacqueline continued. “We have met the most incredible donors, customers and supporters in the world, and for that we are extremely grateful.

“We take in the donations of kind strangers and give half away to people in the community for free. The other half we sell to generate the money we need for services for children who have experienced considerable trauma and loss.”