INTERVIEWS and PHOTOS: Beyond Radio teams up with Lancaster BID for biggest ever Christmas toy appeal

Thursday, 19 December 2024 08:44

By Luke Edmondson and Greg Lambert @greglam72

Beyond Bear joined Father Christmas and the Lancaster BID team delivering presents from the toy appeal to Unique Kidz & Co

Beyond Radio hit the road to deliver presents with Father Christmas as part of Lancaster BID's biggest and best ever toy appeal.

Lancaster BID’s third year of running the annual event to support local charities and families saw the most ever donations of toys from the generous public including many local businesses.

Thousands of toys were donated and there were so many, they filled two vans and the Lancaster BID Santa bus too!

Father Christmas, Beyond Bear and the team visited Cancer Care, Unique Kidz & Co, Preloved and the Royal Lancaster Infirmary Children's Ward.to drop off the presents on Wednesday.

Tony Johnson, manager of Lancaster BID (Business Improvement District), said the support had been "overwhelming".

The team making the deliveries on the BID Santa Bus included Tony, Tom and Maggie from the Lancaster BID team; Luke Edmondson, Sam Cragg, Roy Ward and Beyond Bear from Beyond Radio; Jackie and Mark Shaw from the Travellers Choice; Alice from Chiptech; Lucy & Sophia from Thurnham Hall; James & Rachel from Cumberland Building Society; Sophie, Mick & Phil from Heysham Power Stations; and Kirsty, Autumn and Ocean.

The Santa Bus was provided by main sponsors The Travellers Choice, with two other delivery vans from SJ Bargh and Equans.

Our first stop was Unique Kidz & Co in Morecambe, a charity offering day care and holiday club activities for disabled young people.

LISTEN as we caught up with Chris Pilkington from Unique Kidz & Co, pictured below.

Then we visited CancerCare on Slyne Road to meet their amazing team who support families affected by cancer.

LISTEN to Alison Stainthorpe, chief executive, and Kat Michaels, deputy head of fundraising (pictured below)

We then headed off to Preloved Clothes & Toys, formerly known as Little Joe’s, to speak to Karen O'Connor.

LISTEN here to our chat with Karen who runs the Lancaster-based group which distributes donations of pre-loved items to families in need.

The final trip of the day was to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary children’s ward.

Santa and Beyond Bear visited some of the staff and patients and handed out some presents!

Meanwhile we caught up with Tony Johnson, manager of Lancaster BID (below), to get his views on how the day went.

Here's a message from Lancaster BID and a video from Christmas Toy Appeal 2024 delivery day.

🎁TOY APPEAL MISSION COMPLETE… 😍Thousands of toys have been donated and we are beyond ecstatic with how much kindness the Toy Appeal has generated this year. ❤️A massive thank you to: The Travellers Choice Beyond Radio Lancaster Smile Clinic Heysham 2 Power Station Cumberland Building Society accessplanit.com Chiptech UK Nationwide Bella Italia Bridgestone Construction Company Primark The Tap House, Lancaster TK Maxx Autumn and Ocean S J Bargh Thurnham Hall Skipton Building Society Methodist Church Two Stories Fine & Country Lakes and North Lancashire Matthews Benjamin Estate Agents And of course all the general public and everyone who donated or spread word about our appeal. ✨Kindly sponsored by The Travellers Choice and supported by Beyond Radio #LoveLocalLoveLancaster #LoveLancasterBID #LancasterBID #LoveLancaster #LoveEventsLoveLancaster #ToyAppeal #ChristmasInLancaster #GiftsForKids #LOVELancasterBID #LoveLancaster #LoveChristmasLoveLancaster #LoveLancasterLoveChristmas
Posted by Love Lancaster BID on Wednesday, December 18, 2024