The Salvation Army and The Entertainer collaborate to fill stockings this Christmas

The toy retailer, which was founded by husband-and-wife team Gary and Catherine Grant, hope, with the help of The Salvation Army, to provide 100,000 toys to underprivileged children by the end of 2021.

The Big Toy Appeal encourages customers to pick up an extra toy to donate when they visit The Entertainer or shop online at TheToyShop.com. For every toy donated, The Entertainer will also donate a toy, doubling the number of donations. So far 60,000 toys have been donated and there is hope that the 100,000 barrier will be broken by the end of the year.

The Entertainer has stores all around West Sussex, including in Chichester, Crawley, Horsham, Haslemere and Worthing.

Gary Grant, founder and executive chairman at The Entertainer said: “At The Entertainer we believe that childhood is a right not a privilege. We are so grateful for the generosity of our customers.

"The financial difficulties the country has faced in the last 2 years will mean overwhelming difficulties for families trying to give their children a joyful and magical Christmas. Every child deserves to know they are special and the Big Toy Appeal is an opportunity for us to work together to help families celebrate the wonder of Christmas.”

The Salvation Army has looked to support many families after the impact of COVID-19 and has provided over 2 million meals this year. Together with The Entertainer, they hope to alleviate some of this strain during the 2021 Christmas period by providing toys to families in need, so children can have some presents to open on Christmas.

Tony Daniels, director of community services for The Salvation Army, said: “Too many children in the UK would be without any presents at all at Christmas if it wasn’t for the generosity of people donating to The Big Toy appeal. The last two years have been incredibly difficult for many families, who struggle to afford Christmas due to pressure on family budgets, especially at the moment, and it is fantastic for us to be able to join up with the Entertainer and spread some festive joy.”