Quinton and Harborne Labour Party have donated over 100 toys to the Birmingham Mail #Brumwish Christmas appeal thanks to the generosity of local residents in our community. Your local Labour teams have organised drop-off centres over the weekend at the Royal British Legion in Quinton and on the High Street in Harborne, to collect donations to make sure that no child goes without a present on Christmas morning, this year.
Quinton and Harborne Labour Party were joined by Cllr Jayne Francis on the High Street in Harborne on Saturday. From left to right, local campaigners Elaine, Jayne, Elaine, Sam, Marie and Rory.
Labour Councillor for Harborne, Jayne Francis, who joined the team on Saturday morning said: “Sadly there are lots of disadvantaged children in Birmingham and after the challenges of the pandemic over the last 18 months and with children not being able to see family last year, we want to make sure that they have a really good Christmas”
Branch Chair for Quinton Labour Party, Sam Forsyth, who organised the appeal in Quinton also commented: “Many of us will be thinking about what to buy our own children for Christmas, but the #Brumwish appeal is a timely reminder that there are children who will not be opening a present on Christmas morning. This appeal is a fantastic cause and the support we have seen from residents in Quinton has really shown the best of our community”
The appeal over the weekend follows a visit to #Brumwish volunteers at Edgbaston Stadium by your local Labour MP, Preet Kaur Gill, on Friday who also supports the campaign. Preet said on her visit to Edgbaston Stadium:
“Every child should have the joy of opening a present on Christmas morning. Yet, it’s shocking that 110,000 children across Birmingham will wake up in poverty this Christmas, with many going without a present.
The number of children living in poverty has dramatically risen since the Conservatives came to power in 2010 and now stands at 4.2 million – that's 31% of children in every school classroom. That is a shameful figure and one which needs to be rectified immediately. However, with the Government’s planned benefit cuts and no plan to address soaring fuel prices, people on low incomes are facing a difficult winter.
That is why I am so pleased to see Birmingham Live, local organisations and of course, our Labour Party volunteers coming together to see that, at the very least, we can ensure every child in Birmingham has a gift this Christmas.”
You can still donate to the Brumwish appeal here
Right: Quinton Labour Party Chair, Samantha Forsyth and local campaigner, Rory Demel were collecting toy donations from the Royal British Legion in Quinton on Friday afternoon. Left: Cllr Jayne Francis holds a bag of donations on Harborne High Street.