The Council will be providing collection containers at its household recycling centres in Newpark, Bruslee, Crumlin, O’Neil Road and Craigmore for the donation of preloved toys during the month of November.
Donated toys will be processed and redistributed by Habitat for Humanity (NI) to support local families through two ‘ReStore Pop-up Toy Events’. The first event will take place on Tuesday 3 December, 10am-1pm, at Muckamore Community Centre, in partnership with Muckamore Parish Development Association, and the second will be held at Ballyclare Town Hall on Thursday 5 December, 10am-1pm.
To ensure that these toys find deserving homes, families in need will have the opportunity to select toys, spreading joy and alleviating some of the financial strain that Christmas can bring.
Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Neil Kelly said:
"We hope this year’s scheme will be as successful as last year’s when we received almost 8,000 new and preloved toys thanks to the generosity of residents, businesses and community organisations throughout the Borough.
It was a truly remarkable outcome which helped over 600 local families and resulted in approximately 7.5 tonnes of toys being diverted from landfill, marking a significant contribution to environmental sustainability.
I am confident that our community's generosity and compassion will be demonstrated again for this year’s toy donation drive, and that it will bring comfort and joy to families in need during this special season.”
Isobel Kerr from Habitat for Humanity Ireland said,
"We are so thankful for the continued partnership with Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, giving local families access to good-quality, pre-loved toys at affordable prices through the ReStore Christmas Toy Scheme. We have really appreciated the community support for the project over the years and are hoping to repeat that success with the help of the generous residents of Antrim and Newtownabbey."
Further information is available online at www.antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk/christmastoyscheme
Photo Caption (L-R): Lynsey Daly, Head of Waste, Strategy and Sustainability at Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council; Vicki Kyles, Antrim School of Music; Father Christmas; Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Neil Kelly; Isobel Kerr, Habitat for Humanity Ireland and Will McDowell, DEA Engagement Coordinator at Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council.