Fire Damages Christmas Gifts Intended for Underprivileged Children

Thousands of pounds’ worth of toys and gifts, designated as Christmas presents for children experiencing poverty, have been damaged in a fire. A charity worker from Wrexham, who had been collecting these toys, expressed her initial feeling that she “didn’t think they could pick themselves up” after the loss. For the past five years, Jane Wedley and her colleague Victoria Davies, both associated with the North Wales and North West England Passport Rotary Club, have been assembling bags of brand new toys for children referred to them by schools across the county. Their storage unit was at full capacity when a fire in an adjacent building caused smoke damage to their stock, rendering all items unusable. The charity, which conducts fundraising for various community projects throughout the year, acquires the presents new, commencing procurement as early as the summer, and customizes each gift bag, taking care not to duplicate presents given the year before. Ms Wedley stated that they had “lost everything” because even though soot can be cleaned off some items, the smell of the smoke had “penetrated everything”. However, she noted that the community’s reaction had “lifted us up,” following offers of assistance and backing from individuals and organizations across the county. “At first, we just felt overwhelmed. It’s the mental effort of starting again, of choosing and buying the toys. But we can’t let anyone down. We just have to start again. Seeing that the Wrexham community cares – we feel less alone.” Ms Wedley mentioned that the Wrexham Miner’s rescue centre was one of the organizations that extended help, with its volunteers remaking the labels and craft items attached to the gift bags. She further indicated that a campaign has also been launched to raise the funds needed to buy new presents. “It’s just a question of time now, but friends and supporters will roll their sleeves up and muck in. We have to do it.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.