Mid and East Antrim Appeal: here are all the details of how to give pre-loved toys a new home this festive season
Mid and East Antrim residents are being encouraged to give pre-loved toys a new home this festive season.
Containers have been set up at the council’s five household recycling centres (HRCs) and three leisure centres as part of the annual donation scheme.
Council is working in partnership with Restore (East Belfast Mission), Larne; Family Support Practitioner, Habitat for Humanity, Larne Community Care Centre, Sure Start, Home Start and primary schools.
Over 8.5 million toys are thrown away each year in the UK. In 2023 the local authority diverted over 3.2 tonne of toys from landfill and gifted them to communities, this is over 50% more than the 2021 tonnage diverted and gifted.
Residents are invited to drop off pre-loved and unwanted toys to special designated containers at each of the sites. Donated toys must be clean, complete and good quality i.e. what you’d provide to your own child, says council.
The project is running until Friday, December 13 and drop-off points are as follows:
- Waveney Road HRC, Ballymena – Monday – Saturday 9am – 5pm;
- Seven Towers Leisure Centre, Ballymena – Monday – Friday 9am – 9pm, Saturday 9am – 5pm and Sunday 12pm – 5pm;
- Redlands HRC, Larne – Monday – Saturday 9am – 5pm;
- Larne South HRC, Islandmagee – Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 9am – 5pm;
- Glenarm HRC – Wednesday and Saturday 9am – 5pm;
- Larne Leisure Centre – Monday – Friday 9am – 9pm, Saturday 9am – 5pm, Sunday 11am – 5pm
- Sullatober HRC, Carrickfergus – Monday – Saturday 9am – 5pm, Sunday 1pm – 5pm;
- Amphitheatre Leisure Centre, Carrickfergus – Monday – Friday 9am – 9pm, Saturday 9am – 5pm, Sunday 9am – 5pm.
The Mayor of Mid and East, Alderman Beth Adger MBE, said: “This scheme is the perfect opportunity for people to reduce the number of old, unwanted toys they have in a more sustainable way - while supporting those who struggle most during the Christmas period.
“We hope that residents will drop off items such as kid’s bicycles, scooters, plastic seesaws, small plastic slides, games, V-Tech toys, jigsaws, books, dolls, robots, most plastic/wooden toys and teddies - in good working order.”
“With Mid and East Antrim being the first council in Northern Ireland to set up a scheme of this nature, I’ve been amazed at the level of community spirit supporting it, which has built year-on-year.”
Site attendants and leisure centre staff can direct residents to the Christmas toy container at each site.
Isobel Kerr, Habitat for Humanity, commented: “We are delighted to be part of the Christmas Toy Container at a time of year which can be so challenging for families on low incomes. We look forward to being able to offer families the opportunity to get good quality toys at low cost.”
A spokesperson for East Belfast Mission, said: “Larne Restore are delighted to be part of this great partnership at a time when we should all be thinking of others.”