Operation Santa Dudley borough has formally transferred to Santa’s Black Country Toy Appeal

The Operation Santa Dudley borough appeal ran up until Monday 9th August 2021. 

It was then that Operation Santa Dudley borough run by Dudley CVS, formally transferred operational control and Operation Santa Dudley borough became Santa’s Black Country Toy Appeal.  They certainly have their work cut out for them and will now cover Dudley/ Sandwell/Walsall and Wolverhampton, as these are the areas that make up the Black Country. The estimated number of children living below the poverty line in the Black Country is 104,265.

If you would like to follow the new group, here are the contact details:

TEL: 07860 644468

EMAIL: santabctoyappeal@gmail.com

WEBSITE: www.bc-santa.co.uk

Advertisement

A message from the Chief Elf – It’s a wrap and THANK YOU😊 Covid hasn’t stopped us this Christmas!

I am delighted to announce that Operation Santa is officially over for this Covid Christmas 2020 and what a ride it’s been.  The last few collections have been made and there have certainly been a lot of those this year.

We have given gifts to 6204 children and young people this year, and received a record-breaking 38444 donations, both fairly incredible stats in these challenging times.

Groups and organisations who have never been supported before have received support this year, in addition to the regular schools, family centres and social workers, plus voluntary and community groups who support vulnerable children, young people and families.  We’ve reached more recipients than ever and have hopefully helped lots of families who are struggling this Christmas. There have been loads of food and toiletry donations this year, which shows that the lovely people who have supported us realise that many families are struggling for the essentials in life, not just presents.

 

THANK YOU to the super volunteer team

Trevor and Rose have worked their socks of sorting donations and picking gifts for the lists when they have come in. Without these two amazing people Operation Santa would never have happened.  The two of them have sorted three times more donations this year in their COVID ‘bubble’. Thank you too Andy Monk for providing sleigh collection and delivery services. 

 

THANK YOU To all our amazing supporters

  • Black Country Radio for their support with raising our profile and providing centralised info on their page about what we are doing. A true community radio station supporting our cause and helping us make a difference.
  • Brett Harris our Business Ambassador and his incredible network of supporters 
  • Lee Southerton from Volks Magic and Garry Aulton from Beerbuz, and Santa’s A Gangster, and their phenomenal family of VW supporters and local businesses. Garry also donated this year’s prize draw car, which was transformed into an amazing Herbie lookalike and was won by a very lucky Paul Holmes.

Our fabulous collection point network who have been brilliant this year and made it easier for people to drop off donations. This has worked so well we hope to do this again next year. These wonderful people have stepped up and taken on the challenges that the pandemic had presented, even continuing to accept donations in a safe manner during the lockdown. 

  • Halesowen BID
  • Brierley Hill Market
  • Cornish Pasty Box
  • Geoff Hill Electrical Superstore
  • Blaze Hair
  • Volks Magic
  • Black Country Cleaners
  • Duncan Edwards Foundation
  • The Works, Stourbridge
  • The LIttle Griddle, Halesowen

THANK YOU to every single one of the lovelies who have supported us this year 😊

Every £1 given and every single donation has made a real difference.

We wish you all a lovely festive break and hope that 2021 will be a big improvement on 2020. The elves and I will now be taking a well-earned break and see you all next year, when hopefully things will have returned to some type of normality.

 

Please don’t leave it too late to help Operation Santa Dudley borough!

First of all thank you so much to all the lovely people who have been supporting us so far with this year’s appeal. It’s been a real challenge with the multiple Covid restrictions, but we are doing our very best.

As you are aware we do not deal direct with families, but take support requests referrals from schools, voluntary and community groups, social workers, children’s centres etc.  Our closing date for donations is 18th December, but please don’t leave dropping off your gifts until then, as many schools and groups close at lunchtime that day, which means your presents will not be given out.  Social workers are of course working up until Christmas Eve and so are we, but please get your donations over to us as soon as you can. 

We have received over 40 lists so far and it’s not even December. Many of the lists are not from our regular 100 or so groups/schools/organisations that we support every year, so already demand is up and donations are down.

Please do your best and help us reach as many children and young people as possible this Covid Christmas 2020.

We’ve got a new grand total thanks to Poundland

I am delighted to say that we have just finished counting the huge pile of donations from the two Poundland shops in Dudley. With other donations from Blaze Hair and members of the public we are doing really well.

Thank you so much everyone we now have plenty of stocking fillers, but still need main presents. Please share, share, share and help us reach more children and young people this year. #covidwontstopus

Operation Santa Dudley borough – support criteria

I just wanted to clarify our support criteria which are the same as in previous years.

We ONLY take referrals from schools, social services, or voluntary, community, faith groups.

We will cannot deal with parents directly. 

If you need support please ask at your child’s school, your social worker or another group who supports you to refer you.

The reason is that the referrer can verify the family’s circumstances and this enables us to ensure the limited number of donations we get, are channelled to those most in need.

Covid won’t stop us! Operation Santa Collection Points update

NEW STOURBRIDGE DROP OFF POINT

Huge thanks to Darren from the Cornish Pasty Box @cornishpastybox for stepping up to help.  He is offering an opportunity to drop gifts at the Cornish Pasty Box on his Click and Collect Days. 

The Cornish Pasty Box, Bradley Road, Wollaston, Stourbridge, DY8 1UX.  Near Lion Health Centre, opposite the Fitness Factory.

Tuesday 9-1 and Saturdays 10-2

He has the BEST pasties ever, so why not pick some up when you are in Stourbridge?

KINGSWINFORD

Blaze Hair, 37 Lapwood Ave, Kingswinford, DY6 8RP

Brett and the team are there Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th November to drop off until 8pm

Please use their Facebook page to arrange a drop off and Brett will arrange to meet you at a suitable time. @BlazeHairSalon

DUDLEY

Black Country Shop and Duncan Edwards Foundation

257 Castle St, Dudley, DY1 1LQ

The shop is open for click and collect orders only, but the shutters will be up on the front of the shop and the door locked, so please knock on the door and they will take in your donations.

Monday to Friday  9-5

Saturday 9-3

BRIERLEY HILL

Brierley Hill Market, High St, Brierley Hill DY5 3AP

The Market is open for food and essentials stalls only.  You may drop your donations to Steve – as you enter the Market through the entrance by the florist, his stall is the first on the left as you go into the Market.  It sells toiletries and household essentials.  Open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 9-3

HALESOWEN

Halesowen BID office, 1 Hagley Street, Halesowen, B63 3AS

Vicky and her team will be working throughout the pandemic, so if you wish to arrange to drop your donations, please message them via their social media to arrange a suitable time when they will be at the office. @HalesowenBID  

OLDBURY

Volks Magic, 111a Park Ln, Oldbury B69 4LP

The team will be working throughout and are delighted to take your donations.

NEW DUDLEY COLLECTION POINT

Black Country Cleaners, 14 Marmion Grove, Dudley DY1 2DG

Tel: 07990 277785

Mon-Sat 9-6

Sun 9-2

A huge shout out to the lovely Matt Cook for stepping up to help as always.

If you would like to make a donation and can’t get to one of the above collection points, please contact the team on:

FACEBOOK: @opsantadudleyborough

PHONE: 07860 644468 – Mon-Sat 10-4

EMAIL:  opsantadudborough@gmail.com

Roger Simmons and Mikey Southall to the rescue again! #teamsanta #covidwontstopus

Last week I shared a post about the Poundland Superstars from Dudley Store 1993 stepping up to help us. Well they’ve only gone and done it again! Yesterday Lee and Garry from Santa’s a Gangster collected another huge haul of 4366 donations from the store. Thanks boys you are superstars 🙂

4282 donations last week 4366 this week – that’s an incredible 8334 donations in two weeks. Thank youuuuuuuuu 🙂


Herbie goes bananas at his photo shoot and you can win him for £5!

This afternoon our fabulous little prize draw car for 2020 had a photo shoot. Doesn’t he look amazing and good from every angle?

Huge thanks to the fabulous Lee Southerton from Volks Magic who has been drawing in support from some truly wonderful businesses to get Herbie looking his very best. Thanks too to Garry and Hayley Aulton who donated the car this year.

Tickets are on sale from 21st October 2020 from http://www.volksmagic.com at just £5 a ticket and every single penny goes to support our appeal this Christmas, helping us to provide presents for children and young people who may otherwise find nothing under the tree 😦

Poundland Superstars from Dudley Store 1993 step up to help Operation Santa 2020 #teamsanta #covidwontstopus

So this year we were worrying that the Covid-19 pandemic and all the restrictions were going to mean more referrals for families in need and less donations. We know people would be struggling this year more than ever as the financial and emotional side effects of Coronavirus continue to grow.

Roger Simmons and Mikey Southall to the rescue

Today there was a miracle when this morning Lee Southerton from Volks Magic had a phone call and he was invited along to Poundland in Dudley 1993 to chat to Roger and Mikey about some donations. Next thing we know he and Garry were rolling up to Operation Santa HQ with a van bulging at the seams with wonderful gifts. They unloaded that lot and then went back for another load. Wow Roger and Mikey we are so grateful, and for inviting them back next week for more.