Northern Rock gives sleigh-full of toys to Cash for Kids this Christmas

Northern Rock has donated almost £500 worth of brand new toys to underprivileged children in the region, to help offer them a brighter Yuletide season.

Earlier this month, Northern Rock announced it was teaming up with North East radio station Metro Radio and its Cash For Kids charity to support its long-running Secret Santa Appeal for 2010. And now the bank has given sack-loads of games, books and other gifts to the cause too – a massive £480 worth of toys.

The Secret Santa campaign urges people in the North East to donate Christmas gifts to help make a disadvantaged or disabled child’s December 25th as magical as it should be. And as part of Northern Rock’s Community Programme, which aims to support communities in financial difficulty, every Northern Rock branch in the region has become a drop-off point for the gifts which are donated through the generosity of the North East public.

Guy Herrington from Northern Rock said: “Every year, Cash for Kids receives more and more applications from families and good causes who would like to receive gifts from the appeal, and so we have been absolutely delighted to be able to kick off this wonderful campaign with such a wide range of toys and presents, some of which we hope will become cherished keepsakes for many of the region’s children.”

Dan Smith from Cash for Kids added: “Having a company with the stature of Northern Rock supporting our Secret Santa appeal really does make an invaluable difference to the lives of the children in the North East. This is a great start to the campaign and hopefully this will be an indication of how successful 2010 will be in bringing Christmas to every child in the region.”

If you run a children’s group or work within Social Services and could identify a child or a family who may wake up to a bare space beneath their tree on Christmas morning, please contact Metro Radio’s Cash for Kids on 0191 2790247 or cashforkids[at]metroandmagic.com. (All applicants must be within the transmission area of Metro Radio and for the benefit of children under 18 years of age.)

For more information on the appeal, please visit metroradio/cashforkids.